Ice Cream

The classic ice cream made with egg custard is incomparable. The standard proportions are 2 cups/500 ml milk, ⅓ cup/135 g sugar and 6-8 egg yolks, plus 1 cup/250 ml cream, but there are many variations. Opinion is divided as to whether the cream should be cooked with the milk as custard, or should be whipped and stirred in for lightness. For richness, cream may replace some or all of the milk. To make so-called French ice cream, more egg yolks are added to the standard custard.

Ice cream based only on milk or light cream, or even a mixture of both, is common in Italy and in the United States, where it is often called Philadelphia ice cream. Sweetened with sugar it can support the full gamut of flavors, but must rely on top-quality basic ingredients for success. Unlike custard-based ice creams this mixture need not be cooked before freezing, but the cream is often boiled to reduce and enrich it.