Craftwytch Ice Cream

This is quickly becoming my go-to ice cream base. The Simple Ice Cream Base is very neutral in flavor but this one is rich and luxurious and levels up most flavors instantly.

This base uses egg yolks and you can use 5, 6, 7, 8 if you’re crazy but it all works. I tend to use 6, and since yolks can be varying sizes you’ll always have some differences to contend with. But ultimately 5 is enough to get the effect.

Separate the yolks and reserve the egg whites. You can use these in lots of ways to complement ice cream, there’s a fantastic cone recipe as well as making a white cake. Or just make an egg white omelet.

Put the yolks in a medium heat proof bowl and have a whisk ready. In a medium saucepan, add 1 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1 3/4 cup whole milk. The sugar amount can vary depending on what flavor ingredient you use. You want to achieve about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar in total or 150 grams to 200 grams.

Some flavor ingredients already include sugar so you can subtract that amount from the sugar you add to the base. I generally add 1/2 cup to the base. It’s always better to have more sugar than not enough at the end. Sugar helps keep ice crystals from forming and will give you a smoother texture.

Add 2 tbs of corn syrup or glucose syrup. These syrups have a lower freeing point than regular sugar and will also help keep the ice cream soft and pliable when frozen. I highly suggest using one of these syrups but it will still work without it, it just may not be as soft as you;d like coming right out of the freezer.

Before heating the liquids and making a custard I recommend preparing an ice bath. I don’t always do this out of laziness but it is another way to help prevent curdling of the eggs which will ruin the flavor of the custard. To make the ice bath fill a large bowl with ice and water and nestle a medium heat proof bowl inside with a strainer all ready to go.

I highly recommend using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the base. You have a relatively narrow margin of temperature you want to achieve and going over it will curdle the eggs and make it taste funky.

Heat the liquid on medium on the stove top, and once it reaches about 150 degrees, slowly add about 1-2 cups of it to the yolks, constantly whisking. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium low, stirring constantly until it reaches between 170-180 degrees and is thickened up enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the bowl over the ice bath, straining out any bits that may have curdled. Add any flavor ingredient that needs to be melted, or infused which will also help to cool down the liquid faster. After it’s cooled down, pop into the refrigerator to chill for a few hours before churning. If you have too much ice cream base for the size of your machine, this custard base is delicious in coffee or blended up with more milk in a milkshake, or just drink it like soup.