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Give Me Life, Liberty and Homemade Ice Cream!

Are you looking for a fabulous ice cream recipe for a 4th of July celebration? Luckily, your search is over! I shared this ice cream recipe several years ago and it is a perfect time to share again. This is a traditional cooked custard recipe my dad has made for years.  It makes the most creamy, deliciousness that you will ever put in your mouth.  You can really taste the difference between a cooked ice cream and a non-cooked ice cream.  It doesn't take long to prepare this recipe and it is worth the little bit of effort you will put into it. In fact, I have all the ingredients sitting on the counter ready to make the custard.  I have to tell you that we often fight over who gets to lick the spoon and clean out the bowl!

Let's look at the Starting Line-Up.  Just a few basic ingredients.  Please note that the ice cream salt in the picture is only for my ice cream freezer and not for the recipe!!
If you are like me, I like the recipe all at once and then the pictorial steps.  So here it is!
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Ralph's Creamy Custard Ice Cream
2 and 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon regular table salt
5 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, beaten
4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla

Combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in milk and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until thickened.  Gradually temper eggs by adding the hot milk mixture by small amount to the eggs, beating as you temper.  Once tempered, slowly add egg mixture to the milk mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the custard coats a spoon.  Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.  Lastly, combine whipping cream and vanilla to the mixture and freeze in an ice cream freezer.
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Now to create your masterpiece!  Combine the sugar, flour, and table salt.  Gradually whisk in the whole milk.  Continue to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.  It looks good already!
While this is cooking, beat 4 eggs in a separate bowl and temper the eggs by gradually whisking in a little of the heated milk mixture to the eggs.  If you just plop the eggs into the milk mixture without tempering, you will end up with scrambled egg ice cream!  After tempering, add the eggs slowly to the pot and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.  This takes about a minute or two.  When the custard coats a spoon, you are done with this stage and will have a pot full of delicious custard.
My dad always strains the custard to make sure that it is free of any flour lumps, eggs particles, or foreign objects.  I'm not sure what foreign objects we are looking for, but he does it and so do I! You can skip this part if you want; however, Dad would tell you to strain!
At this point, you are ready to cover the custard and refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight. Cover it immediately so a layer will not form on the top of the custard.
Now comes the fun part!  After the custard has been refrigerated, add 4 cups of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of vanilla to the custard.  Mix well with a spoon.  You will probably want to get a clean spoon, dip in, and taste what you are about to put in your ice cream freezer!  If you find you have to taste it again (and you will), just get another clean spoon!  No re-dipping!  Follow the freezing instructions for your your ice cream freezer.  This recipe will yield 4 quarts of happiness!

If you don't eat it all in one sitting, just freeze it.  This ice cream freezes extremely well without ever getting icy.  This picture was from a previous batch I made and we ate the last of it over a hot fudge cobbler. However, this ice cream is perfect all on its own.  No sprinkles, nuts, or fancy syrups required.  It is simply scrumptious!!  
Happy 4th of July and Blessings from Lynda at Still Woods Farmhouse

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