Chefs at Market: Honey Ice Cream

Honey Ice Cream

Yes, you could drop hundreds of dollars on the sort of fabulous, high tech ice cream makers that you might expect to see on Food Network shows. The good news is that you don’t really have to drop that kind of money — there are inexpensive ice cream makers by Donvier and Cuisipro that retail for between $50 and $70 dollars on Amazon.com. Alternately, if you already have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, you can purchase a freezer bowl attachment for just $80. Either way, you’ll have fresher and more unique ice creams at a fraction of what you’d pay at the supermarket.

• 3 cups heavy cream (preferable pasteurized, rather than ultra-pasteurized, cream)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream, milk, honey and vanilla beans and tiny black seeds over medium heat until it’s hot, being careful not to let the mixture boil and curdle.

Meanwhile, in a medium stainless bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then slowly drizzle 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan of cream; heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, again being careful not to let it boil.

Pour through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the vanilla pods and any bits of cooked egg yolk. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 6 hours. (If you’re pressed for time, you can place this bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, stirring constantly until the mixture is very, very cold.) Follow the directions on your ice cream maker to freeze.

To serve, scoop and drizzle with more fresh honey.