Ice Cream Class

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

3-quart Saucepan

The Control Freak™ Home

Digital instant-read thermometer

Joule® Turbo Sous Vide

Breville Super Q™

Fine-mesh strainer

Ninja CREAMi

Heavy cream

Whole milk

Granulated sugar

Egg yolk(s)

Nonfat dry milk powder

Kosher salt

Vanilla bean

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract: We recommend buying “pure” or “single fold” vanilla extract, such as the ones from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VLU1W?tag=chefsteps02-20&th=1">Nielsen-Massey</a> or <a href="https://www.heilalavanilla.com/">Heilala</a>. The ingredient list should have just vanilla bean, alcohol, and water. While imitation vanilla extract like the one from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005SSO7SA/?tag=chefsteps02-20">McCormick</a> will work in a pinch, the flavor isn’t as pronounced or complex as pure vanilla extract.

Nonfat dry milk powder: Nonfat dry milk powder increases the amount of “milk solids-not-fat” (MSNF) in the base—primarily protein and lactose—without increasing the amount of water and milk fat in the mix. When heated, the protein hydrates and binds up water in the base, which helps create a creamier, smoother ice cream. Lactose contributes to freezing point depression without having a noticeable effect on the perceived sweetness of the ice cream (lactose is 20 to 40% as sweet as sucrose). Nonfat dry milk powder cannot be substituted with whole or malted milk powders.

Making ice cream with a CREAMi or Pacojet: We give the option of using a Ninja CREAMi or Pacojet to “spin” the ice cream base. If you use one of these machines, you’ll need to add 12 hours to the total preparation time, as the base has to be frozen solid in Step 4 before spinning.

For the full scoop on ice cream, check out our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/ice-cream">ice cream class</a> and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ice-cream-parametric">parametric analysis</a>! 

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Parametric analysis of vanilla ice creams

Ice Cream: A Parametric Analysis

Before we begin

We’ve found that using a combination of vanilla bean and pure vanilla extract produces the most well-rounded and complex vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla beans contain far more flavors than the volatile ones captured in extracts, adding complex woody, tannic, and smoky notes to ice cream. However, those flavors exist both in the vanilla seeds and in the pods themselves. To maximize extraction, it’s best to remove the seeds from the pods and add them separately to the ice cream base before it’s heated, as heating will help to release flavors and aromas. Separating the seeds and pods allows you to easily remove the pods after steeping, as they’re inedible unless they’re ground to a fine powder (which we do in our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sweet-spice">Sweet Spice</a>).

Vanilla extract is about 38% alcohol, which means the flavors and aromas it contributes are very volatile. As a result, we typically add vanilla extract to the ice cream base after it’s been heated to minimize the evaporation of those volatile compounds.

Two types of vanilla? In this economy?

In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk together cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, milk powder, salt, and scraped vanilla bean seeds until well combined. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring and scraping bottom and sides of pan frequently, until sugar is fully dissolved and ice cream base registers [f 176] on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook ice cream base

For <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/custard-parametric-analysis">custard-based</a> ice creams like this one, the goal is to gently cook the yolks without curdling them while lightly denaturing the milk proteins in the base.

This process is fairly straightforward on the stovetop, but it does require your attention and near-constant stirring. You know what cooking method allows you to heat ingredients to a precise temperature with zero babysitting? Sous vide!

Here’s how to cook the ice cream base sous vide:

Heat sous vide water bath to [f 176].

In a large bowl, whisk together cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, milk powder, salt, and scraped vanilla bean seeds until well combined. Transfer ice cream base to a large vacuum-seal bag or double-bag in 1-gallon ziplock-style freezer bags. Seal bag using water displacement method or vacuum sealer.

Lower bag into sous vide bath until ice cream base is fully submerged, and clip bag to side of water bath container.

Cook for 1 hour, massaging bag every 20 minutes to ensure even cooking.

For hands-off perfection, cook ice cream base sous vide.

Transfer ice cream base to the jar of a countertop blender. Blend on medium speed until base is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of blender as needed, about 1 minute. Alternatively, blend base with an immersion blender. Strain base through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.

Blend ice cream base

Blending the ice cream base may seem like an unnecessary step, since it may look fairly homogenous after it’s been cooked. But blending “homogenizes” the base, splitting up the fat globules into tinier droplets and disrupting the layer of proteins that can adsorb (attach, basically) to the outside of the droplets.

There are a couple mechanisms at work, and while shearing the fat droplets is more intuitive, blending also helps to dissolve milk solids and disperse emulsifiers, like the lecithin in egg yolks, throughout the base. Emulsifiers will disrupt the groups of casein proteins that surround the fat globules and prevent them from coming together, or coalescing. This allows the fat globules to crystallize when frozen, which in turn increases the amount of air trapped in the base when it’s churned into ice cream.

Blend the base for better ice cream.

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set container over it. Pour the ice cream base into the container. Stir in vanilla extract and reserved vanilla bean pod. Chill base, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process, until it registers [f 60] or colder, about 20 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate base until it registers [f 40] or colder, at least 4 hours. For best results, “age” base by refrigerating it for at least 12 hours. Base can be refrigerated for up to 1 week before churning.

Chill ice cream base

<a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tips-tricks-the-secret-to-super-smooth-scoopable-ice-cream">Aging (aka curing or resting)</a> an ice cream base in the fridge overnight before churning is an optional step that we strongly recommend.

Aging improves the ability of an ice cream base to trap air during churning, a phenomenon known as overrun. As the ice cream base chills, tiny fat globules suspended in the emulsion have a chance to harden. Destabilized fat globules (that is, fat globules that are surrounded by both casein proteins and weaker emulsifiers, like lecithin or whey) crystalize when they harden, which makes them more likely to stick to one another, which in turn helps to trap air in the ice cream base as it churns.

Fat begins to crystalize at [f 40], and this is the minimum (i.e., maximum) temperature to chill an ice cream base to before churning. Chilling 1 quart of base to [f 40] takes about 4 hours in the fridge.

Chilling (aging) the base overnight gets it well below [f 40], which in turn maximizes fat crystallization and speeds up the churning process. If you have the time, we recommend aging ice cream bases for at least 12 hours before churning.

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Want one simple trick to getting the smoothest, most scoopable ice cream ever? This is that.

Tips & Tricks: The Secret to Super-Smooth, Scoopable Ice Cream

For the best ice cream, age the base.

If using a Pacojet or CREAMi to make ice cream, remove and discard vanilla bean pod. Stir to redistribute vanilla seeds, then divide chilled base evenly between beakers and freeze until solid, at least 12 hours.

Freeze base if using a Pacojet or CREAMi (optional)

If using a stand mixer and dry ice or liquid nitrogen (our favorite): Remove and discard vanilla bean pod. Transfer chilled base to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and churn using <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/making-ice-cream-with-dry-ice">dry ice</a> or <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/liquid-nitrogen-churned-ice-cream">liquid nitrogen</a>, following instructions in our guides.

If using a Pacojet or CREAMi: Spin beakers of frozen base following manufacturer’s instructions until mixture resembles thick soft serve ice cream. For Ninja CREAMi, spin on “Ice Cream” setting, then use “Re-Spin” function to spin again.

If using a countertop ice cream maker: Remove and discard vanilla bean pod. Transfer chilled base to ice cream maker and churn following manufacturer&#39;s instructions until mixture resembles thick soft serve ice cream and registers [f 21] or colder.

CAUTION: If using liquid nitrogen, please make sure you’ve read our page on <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/frozen-cryogenic-poaching-with-liquid-nitrogen">how to safely handle liquid nitrogen</a>.

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How to make ice cream with dry ice and a stand mixer.

How to Make Ice Cream With Dry Ice

How to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen in a stand mixer.

How to Make Ice Cream With Liquid Nitrogen

Churn or spin ice cream

For a soft serve-like texture, scoop and serve ice cream immediately.

For a hard scoop-like texture (like store-bought premium ice cream), transfer to an airtight container (if using a Pacojet or CREAMi, keep ice cream in beaker and cover with lid) and freeze until ice cream is hard and registers between [f 6] and [f 10], at least 1 hour 30 minutes. Scoop and serve.

Serve or freeze

If you don’t have a dedicated ice cream container, we recommend freezing ice cream in a metal loaf pan with a piece of parchment placed on top, rather than using plastic deli containers.

Loaf pans are great for serving because they give you a long runway for scooping or sculpting <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/rocher">picture-perfect rochers</a>. Their metal construction is sturdy, so you won’t have to worry about damaging the container if you’re scooping with gusto.

While deli containers are cheap and convenient, they break and crack easily when frozen. The last thing you want is to have a bunch of plastic shards end up in your ice cream.

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How to make rocher, also known as a quenelle made with a single spoon.

How to Make a Rocher

Use a loaf pan as an ice cream storage container.

Ice cream that’s frozen solid is difficult to scoop. (If you’ve ever had a late-night ice cream hankering, you know this.)

The best way to get the ice cream to a scoopable consistency isn’t leaving it on the counter; it’s putting it in the refrigerator. In 10 to 15 minutes, the ice cream should be evenly tempered, instead of being half-melted along the edges and rock hard in the center.

Temper rock-hard ice cream in the fridge.

Step 1: Heat sous vide bath
Heat sous vide water bath to [f 185].

Step 2: Scrape out vanilla bean seeds
Using a small, sharp knife, split vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape out the insides of the beans with the back of the knife. You should collect about 1 g of seeds from each bean. Keep the scraped beans for the next step.

TIP: Use up to 10 g seeds for a stronger vanilla flavor.

Step 3: Blend and package ingredients
Blend milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds. Add cream last and blend, taking care not to whip.

Place scraped vanilla beans in sous vide bag or bags and pour mixture over them. Vacuum-seal on the highest setting.
 
 Step 4: Cook at [f 185]
Lower bag into sous vide bath until mixture is fully submerged.

Cook for 1 hour.

Agitate bag at least twice during the hour to ensure even cooking.

Step 5: Chill
Chill in ice bath until cold. For best results, place in refrigerator and continue to chill for at least 8 hours.

TIP: If base appears broken after refrigeration, remove scraped vanilla pods, blend ice cream base until smooth, and replace pods.

Step 6: Churn
Remove scraped vanilla beans and discard. Churn ice cream base using available equipment.

TECHNIQUE: Here’s how to churn ice cream with <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/liquid-nitrogen-churned-ice-cream">liquid nitrogen</a> or <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/making-ice-cream-with-dry-ice">dry ice</a> in a stand mixer.

CAUTION: If using liquid nitrogen, please make sure you’ve read our page on <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/frozen-cryogenic-poaching-with-liquid-nitrogen">how to safely handle liquid nitrogen</a>.

Vanilla bean seed

Milk

Sugar

Ice water

The original recipe

Ice cream can be made in advance and frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ice cream base can be made in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week before churning.

Make-ahead and storage

This is it: the best vanilla ice cream. If you’ve ever been guilty of using “vanilla” to mean “ordinary,” you need to try this ice cream!Because vanilla beans are a miracle. Made from the seed pods of an orchid, which has to be pollinated and harvested by hand, the pods are cured, dried, and aged to produce the constellation of aromas and flavors that we have named “vanilla.”Extracts and pastes capture just a fraction of vanilla&#39;s flavor possibilities. By doubling up on high-quality sources of vanilla—vanilla beans and extract—you get a rich and custardy ice cream with layers of complex vanilla flavor that lingers on your palate for a luxuriously long while.EDITORS’ NOTE: We’ve updated this recipe to improve the texture of the ice cream, streamline the process, and provide multiple options for churning. The base now includes nonfat dry milk powder and uses both vanilla bean and vanilla extract. The batch size has been reduced slightly to yield about 1 quart. We have included instructions for cooking the custard base on the stovetop, as well as sous vide, and lowered the sous vide cooking temperature. If you prefer to use the original recipe, we’ve included it as a tip at the end of the recipe before the make-ahead and storage instructions.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream