Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This post will share a simple, classic recipe for homemade vanilla ice cream featuring the vanilla extract, paired with the amazing cranberry chocolate fermented mole I made that knocks the trio of recipes into the stratosphere. Read on for the final layer of homemade dessert divinity!

Now that you have fermented your cranberries, cherries, cocoa, and chile together into a paste, and you have your vanilla beans soaking to make vanilla extract, you can now make your homemade vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla is a term that has unfairly been applied to the boring, mediocre, and forgettable. My cousin dated a girl that was described as “vanilla” because she was nice…and that was about all she was.

How unfair to both the girl and the flavoring because vanilla really shines when favorably paired, as with the fermented mole.

When scooped together on the same dish, the cool, sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream is a perfect foil for the fruity heat of the mole and you can actually taste the vanilla really well.

It is weird, delicious, and totally unusual. Make it and impress a crowd, Wildflowers.

This ice cream recipe was shared with me by my neighbor and friend Nan who is a goat farmer and homeopath. She makes it with her own fresh goat milk and if you can get your hands on such heavenly dairy, you should. If that isn’t available to you, use plain cow’s milk.

Recipe:

2 and 3/4 cups whole fresh goat milk or cow’s milk

1/4 c heavy cream

*Use goat cream if you can get it; heavy cow’s (whipping) cream works fine too. You can also substitute whole (not light) coconut milk – make sure to shake well. Also acceptable is sour cream, or whole-milk plain, high-quality yogurt such as Straus brand.

*You can also vary the proportions within the 3 c. of milk/cream as far as1 cup whole milk and 2 cups cream

3/4 c white sugar

small pinch salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Use the best you can afford because this is what really makes the taste, which is exactly why I like to make my own. Read how I do it here.

Put milk, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl and use hand or stand mixer to combine until sugar dissolves. This can take a while (up to several minutes) so keep stirring.

Stir in cream and vanilla. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour (or as long as 8 hours).

Process according to the directions for your ice cream maker until thickened and creamy, usually about 20 minutes.

Store in the freezer but bear in mind when you make homemade, preservative-free ice cream it is very best devoured fresh.

And there you have it, Wildflowers. Have you entered to win the corresponding dessert post’s giveaways? For the fermented mole post, one lucky reader will win a copy of “Fermented Vegetables” which is over 300 pages of fermentation instruction, photography, recipes, and inspiration.

Enter to win the "Fermented Vegetables" cookbook!

For the homemade vanilla extract post, we have been kindly gifted a Mason Jar Tap lid which makes your infusions perfectly pourable. To further elevate your canning jar affection, the winner will also get a drinking lid to transform their jar into a to-go cup.

Click to enter the Mason Jar Tap & Drinking Jar Lid Giveaway!