I KNOW.
I can assure you you’re at the right website, so you can go ahead and feel around for your eyeballs that have probably popped out and are rolling around on your keyboard due to extreme shock at what they just witnessed.
I flippidy flippin’ made ice cream! A DESSERT. Something SWEET. Something so rare on this site I’ve alerted the council and am currently preparing for my international tour where I’ll be interviewed at great length to discuss what brought on this change in my life.
“Well, your honor,” I’ll say to them, “it all started one balmy summer afternoon as I was sunbathing in the exquisite gardens of Versailles, when all of a sudden he appeared on a magical zip line out of the sky, shirtless and glistening in the sun, with a golden lasso in his han – - -” oh, wait. That’s a totally different daydream. Sorry.
Truth is, I won an ice cream maker from Amy not long ago and my husband flipped every single one of his lids. And he has a lot of lids.
Making ice cream is weird. I mean, I’m totally into it NOW, after having made it three times, but you just have to wrap your head around the SCIENCE of it, which I’m totally not good at, as evidenced last night when I broke down into a fit of tears when watching NOVA because I just cannot fathom how the universe is infinite with billions of galaxies and stars and planets and milky things and no thanks. IT’S SO BIG, YOU GUYS.
Making ice cream is also a dang good time. Maybe I just like the fact that it’s so 1950s and domestic and that I got the chance to wear my bright pink poodle skirt when making it. Along with rounding the corners of my photos. (Hey, a vintage ghost told me to do so. Blame her.)
And the taste? The silky smooth texture? The pleasant crunch of the chopped almonds? GURL, PLEASE.
Let’s not pay too much attention to how fast my ice cream is melting. It was like Satan’s sauna in my living room when I shot this.
I’m going to go rub some on my face right now.
Homemade Vanilla Bean, Honey and Almond Ice Cream:
(adapted from the Cooks Illustrated cookbook)
What it took for about 1 quart:
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
* 1 vanilla bean
* 1/3 cup local honey
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 3 egg yolks
* 1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds
Pre-freeze your ice cream container thingy for about 18 hours.
Slice the vanilla bean down the center lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape out the seeds inside.
In a saucepan, add the cream, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla beans, pod, salt and honey. Whisk the mixture and bring it a very light simmer, 5 – 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the milk mixture into the bowl, tempering the eggs so they don’t scramble on you. Whisk until smooth, 30 seconds. Pour egg mixture back into the saucepan and continue to lightly simmer on medium-low until it has thickened, another 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean pods and discard.
Pour the egg/milk mixture into a large bowl and let cool about 20 minutes, until it’s no longer steaming.
Pour one cup of the mixture into a smaller bowl and cover both bowls with plastic wrap. Stick the small bowl in the freezer and the larger bowl in the fridge and let completely cool, about 3 hours. Don’t even ask me why we do this. It’s that science thing or whatever.
Bring both bowls back out and scrape the smaller (more frozen) custard into the larger bowl. Stir until fully dissolved and combined.
At this point, you’ll put the ice cream frozen container thingy back on the machine and turn it on. Pour the mixture into the container and watch the machine works its magic. It will probably churn about 25 minutes, so at the 20-minute mark, add the chopped almonds. The machine will do the churning and mixing, so you can go ahead and pour yourself a drink.
At this point it will be sort of like soft serve, so if that’s your bag, eat! We bought a little quart-sized white container to store our ice cream in, so that we’d feel cool.
Garnish with lavender blossoms, more honey, more chopped almonds, chocolate, whatever makes ya dance!
I want to make this for the sole purpose of garnishing with my lavender blossoms that are growing like crazy on my front steps. I realllllly need an ice cream maker..
I want to infuse the cream with some of the lavender blossoms that are going crazy. Lavender and honey are BFFs.
This looks AMAZING!!!! I don’t make desserts very often, but I’ll have to make an exception for this
dear Lord. i need to shovel this in my mouth ASAP. and seriously, ice cream making is hard! you should be proud!
You need to make sweets more often! PERFECTION!
This ENTIRE recipe is making me dance!! I need to try this
There’s nothing like homemade ice cream. I love it – - my swimsuit … not so much lol
Love, love, love the flavors in this!! Amazing!
This isn’t baking but definitely a step in the right direction!
Ohh my this sounds absolutely amazing and your pictures are making me drool all over my keyboard!
Could not love this more. Perfect!
WOW!! JUST PINNED THIS SO PRETTY AND YUM!
WOW! You garnished with lavender blossoms! You rock!
Look at you making a sweet!!
I so want a bowl.. ahhh screw it… give me the entire container and a shovel please and thanks!
OHHHHH boy. That looks awesome! I’m currently churning ice cream this very second. I make it WAY too much. Like I might have my bathing suit hanging on the freezer door as my first line of defense.
Yay for homemade ice cream! Double yay for garnishing with lavender blossoms!
I neeeeeed an ice creeeeam maaaaaaker. /whining
Congrats on your latest dessert accomplishment!!
Bev this looks so good. It’s really ice *cream*. I can almost taste the cream in it from your pics…delish!
I need this in my face. My ice cream maker (from Lauren, coincidentally) is my summer lover. Like Sandy and Danny Zuko. It’s just meant to be. it makes me feel like a rebel. Summa’ lovin’!!
Help me find my eye balls! Now, woman! This is all your fault!!!
ps I have a poodle skirt, too. Let’s wear it and be twins at the next blog conference and act like it ain’t no thang. We’ll tell ‘em they’re all the rage is Kansas & the trend is coming to a STORE NEAR YOU.
You should keep making ice cream, you totally owned this batch! And you know I loooooove me some ice cream. I just want to swim, bathe, LIVE, in a tub of ice cream.
This ice cream looks so perfect, Bev. I want it for lunch.
Looks awesome, Bev! I’m impressed
You are the ultimate master. I bow! Yes to the please!
homemade ice cream is SO much fun to make!
Homemade ice cream is like the best summer treat EVER! This flavor sounds incredible!
It’s so cruel that ice cream season (is there an ice cream season?) and bathing suit season are at the same. The ice cream looks tasty, and pretty too!
this ice cream is so delicious looking. it’s so hot and humid outside that i’d bathe in this.
so smooth and silky..i love vanilla!
Say What? Dessert??? Girl, you did GOOD!
Well, I did not know if we could have a lasting friendship when I thought that you lacked a sweet tooth, but now I know that we can have AI, ice cream, and pasta. So, we are destined for a happy life together. Have a super weekend!!
I want this gorgeous ice cream for every meal today!
SWEET! Way to go with the dessert!
i hope to one day own an ice cream maker, although it maybe dangerous. this looks so good
Love that you made desseet & this ice cream looks so good. Obsessed with my ice cream attachment lately!!
Honey + vanilla is my new favorite flavor combination. Love it!
Want! And I think you should have more dessert over here…
Oh goodness that’s a killer combo, I need some of this in my freezer.
I’m glad you broke from the usual non-sweet foods to post this ice cream recipe. I love homemade ice cream and yours looks delicious.