3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream Philadelphia Style Recipe
Discover > Texas Recipes > 3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream Philadelphia Style Recipe
As surprising as it may seem, in Texas, the favorite flavor of ice cream (how long does cream last?) is good ol' vanilla. That may not be as much of a surprise to anyone who's ever eaten Blue-Bells (founded in Brenham, Texas in 1907) vanilla ice cream. When it comes to ice cream, as a cook, I've always liked the versatility but also the simplicity of classic vanilla, and it's the easiest flavor you could possibly make at home. Let me take you through some of the science of churning ice cream:
How Churning Works
Churning is a process where you continuously mix and move a freezing mixture to prevent large ice crystals from forming. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid when churning your own ice cream:
Using low-fat dairy for ice cream: Low-fat is your biggest enemy when you're making your own ice cream. Use high-quality dairy with a lot of fat for creamier, richer, and tastier ice cream.
Using warm or room temperature ingredients: For obvious reason churning warm ingredients isn't going to work as well as using cold ingredients. Place them into the freezer 10-15 minutes before starting the ice cream.
Over churning: Churning the ice cream to make makes dense, icy ice cream. Ice cream won't thicken further than the point of soft-serve before storing it in the freezer for upwards of 24 hours.
Equipment
You really don't need a fancy ice cream machine to make delicious, creamy ice cream at home. Instead, we'll use some very common kitchen equipment and ingredients. Two metal bowls, one twice as big as the other, ice cubes (crushed works best because of increased surface area), and salt to mix into the ice.
Online stores offer unbeatable prices for metal bowls, so don't miss out!
Salt brings down the melting point of ice dissolves in the film of liquid water that is always present on the surface, thereby lowering its freezing point below the temperature of the ice.
Ingredients
As mentioned before, this ice cream only requires 3 very simple ingredients. Heavy cream, condensed milk, and vanilla paste (or extract if you're feeling lazy). Thick, rich dairy products like cream are always better when it's bought high quality. I guarantee if you buy fresh cream directly from a farm you'll notice a huge difference, especially if you're an ice cream fanatic.
Method
First, fill the large metal bowl with crushed ice around halfway. Don't overfill because after that you'll have to nest the smaller bowl into it later.
Mix the salt into the ice cream at a ratio of around 1:4 (salt to ice by weight) and combine it all before nesting the smaller bowl into the ice and pouring in the chilled cream and condensed milk.
Attach the beaters onto your handheld mixer then start to beat the mixture on medium speed for around 15 minutes until the mixture starts to freeze and thicken. You can defiantly use a normal whisk for this, although it'll take a lot of effort and significantly more time.
After the first round of beating, cover both bowls with cling film and place the whole apparatus into the freezer for up to an hour to solidify slightly.
By this time ice crystals will have formed which you have to beat out. Take the ice cream out of the freezer, add the vanilla to the cream, plug that mixer back in, then beat again for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth like soft-serve ice cream.
Transfer the soft serve to a container with a bowl, cover with a lid then place it in the freezer overnight or for 24 hours for best results.
Prepare for a refreshing and delightful experience! Celebrate National Ice Cream Month in Texas by visiting these fantastic ice cream destinations scattered throughout the state. Indulge in a cool treat and savor the sweetness in style!
3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream Philadelphia Style
Ingredients
- 2 cups double cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
- Ice cubes
- Salt
Instructions
- Fill a large metal bowl with crushed ice and cover the ice with salt.
- Place another metal bowl half the size of the larger bowl and add the heavy cream and the condensed milk.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture for 12-15 minutes until it starts to thicken and freeze.
- Add the vanilla paste (or extract), mix it into the ice cream, cover with cling film, then place in the freezer for an hour to set.
- Remove the bowls from the freezer and continue to mix for another 10-15 minutes until smooth and creamy, similar to soft serve.
- Transfer the soft ice cream to a container with a lid then place it in the freezer at least overnight or 24 hours for better results.
