all that remains.

i tried. i really did. between back to school, puzzles, trampoline time, big brother finale, art projects (we made these guys again!) and homework i really tried to get that fabulous magazine worthy photo if the ice cream i actually made myself. yes you read it right. i made ice cream.

and it was pretty darn good.

the seed for this endeavor was planted 4 years ago when the husband gifted me with the much coveted kitchen aid mixer for my 30th birthday. with this purchase came the ice cream maker attachment which he presented to me along with the mixer. with BIG THANKS i gladly accepted the present and starred at it with starry eyes.

how it actually looked before i prettied it up. the sad remnants - although that should account for the taste because it disappeared so fast!

fast forward four years and the 2nd part of the gift was put to good use. finally. i have thought about this over the years but it seemed like such a daunting task and yes it actually takes two days to make! well it took me two days. now - i am a planner but this required serious planning. with a sweet result of course.

worth every second.

for my birthday THIS summer we visited the ben & jerry's factory since we were in vermont and since i am crazy about ice cream. i love ben & jerry's - used to be my curled-up-in-bed-after-the-bar guilty pleasure. and for my gift i bought the official ben & jerry's homemade ice cream and dessert book. armed with this (although i do have the williams sanoma book as well) i vowed i was going to make ice cream before the summer was through. i cracked open the book and got to work on the sweet cream base - the most popular - hoping to get that exquisite signature taste. upon reading the recipe i drew one conclusion - something was wrong here. the recipe for this base calls for raw eggs but then it does not go to show the cooking process. what?? they don't cook the eggs??? so i called up the hotline in the book - the factory it turns out - to ask them about this. yes, i actually called them. and after asking and waiting i was told to use my favorite ice cream base instead of theirs because they haven't changed the recipe in the book to account for the eggs today. and yes they cook theirs at the factory. what????? i don't have a favorite ice cream base - i bought the book so i could get a favorite ice cream base, to make theirs not so i could find it from somewhere else! totally lunacy.

so i took a step back and being the clever girl that i am i figured it out and still using their recipe i made the ice cream. and it's awesome. i am now totally stoked and inspired to make more. soon. when i have two days to plan. and since i can hear fall knocking at the door and found it had snuck in through the window the other day and kissed me on the cheek i think a pumpkin variety is in order.....

jen's cookies and cream ice cream.

adapted from ben & jerry's version.

the base used here is universal. prepare this as your standard "vanilla" and then the world is your oyster! except i wouldn't recommend oysters....yeah....no. to this you can add all sorts of treats, nuts, syrups...anything! follow my instructions though and add them at the appropriate moment. the possibilities are endless!

makes one quart.

vanilla base
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream - chilled
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract or half a vanilla bean.

extras
1 cup coarsely chopped oreo style cookies.

in a medium glass bowl (suitable for double-boiling) whisk together the eggs until light and fluffy - about 1 to 2 minutes. add the sugar and whisk until combined. set the bowl over a pot of simmering water but do not let the water touch the bowl! cook, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula until the eggs feel hot to the touch - this is tempering your eggs. meanwhile have your cup of milk heating in a pot next to you until searing hot but not boiling. once hot, slowly slowly pour into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. once all mixed in pour your mixture into a second pot over a low flame and stir constantly with heatproof spatula, until the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, this is your custard base. once done pour into another bowl to start the cool down process. allow to cool slightly and then, while whisking, slowly add your cold cream. next pop it into the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours to allow to properly chill and set.

chop your cookies, place them in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

once chilled transfer your mix to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacture's instructions. 

after the ice cream stiffens (about 5 minutes before it's done) add the cookies, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready. place in a separate container and chill for at least 4 hours before eating.
**because this ice cream uses fresh eggs please finish it within 5 days of making....yeah like it will last past day one! but just in case.....