Vanillia Ice Cream

[frogprincess]

I have been going over a few recipes, some require a cooking process others no cooking process.

What the heck is the dif in the end result?

Thanks.

[Patrick S]

I've never made a vanilla ice cream that did not have a cooked custard base, so I can't tell you what the difference is. But I'd be awfully suprised if the uncooked versions are as smooth and rich!

If you're looking for a recipe recommendation, may I humbly recommend Sherry Yard's recipe from The Secrets of Baking? Its da bomb, which is to say, delicious.

[Beanie]

I've never made a vanilla ice cream that did not have a cooked custard base, so I can't tell you what the difference is. But I'd be awfully suprised if the uncooked versions are as smooth and rich!

If you're looking for a recipe recommendation, may I humbly recommend Sherry Yard's recipe from The Secrets of Baking? Its da bomb, which is to say, delicious.

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As usual, Patrick, your food and photos are scrumptious.

[chefpeon]

Generally, ice cream bases that are uncooked have no eggs, so are less rich.

If you have a recipe that does not call for cooking, yet still has eggs in it, then there is

the risk of eating uncooked eggs, which in all reality, is not that big a risk. But still.

I prefer cooking my ice cream bases, because I like to use egg yolks...especially in

vanilla ice cream.......deee-lish! Also, the process of cooking your base with the yolks

thickens it a little, which makes an even creamier ice cream.

[chefpeon]

Yeah, Patrick, you have another career in the food photography/styling biz.

Love your pics!

[chiantiglace]

maybe your thinking of gelato not being cooked.

If you do not have egg yolks in your recipe it is not necessary to cook anything. Though even sorbet should be cooked to help infuse flavors and dissolve the sugar thoroughly. Also as Anne noted cooking it to thicken is called bringing the mixture to custard stage in which would cover the back of a spoon when dipped and pulled out. There is a significant difference between a raw mixture and a properly performed custard. Also with a custard a greater amount of air can be distributed when processing in an ice cream machine. as gelato is much denser and needs to be about 10-15 degrees higher temp than ice cream it does not need the added air that ice cream needs, so there obviously is no need to cook to thicken.

[CanadianBakin']

I just started making icecream this summer and my family would agree with me saying that cooked is way better. It's smoother and richer. I made a few that had eggs and weren't cooked and they didn't hold a candle to the cooked stuff. And you'll have left over eggwhites to make IMBC with.

[Toliver]

If you do not have egg yolks in your recipe it is not necessary to cook anything.

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I don't think this is correct. Perhaps there's an SSB (smug scientific bastard) around who'll chime in but I believe taking milk to almost the boiling point has some effect in the ice cream process.

Alton Brown's "Serious Vanilla Ice Cream" is eggless and is cooked (and tastes great!). He touches on the fact that the heat does something to the dairy but doesn't come right out and say what it is:

Transcript of the Good Eats episode "Churn, Baby, Churn"

[Pallee]

My ice cream has gotten alot creamier since I've been making sure to bring my base to 180'. It denatures the protiens (or so says McGee, I believe). I also add a touch of alcohol (I like Maker's Mark in vanilla ice cream) and that helps keep it from freezing as solid and also changes the crystal formation. My science resoning could be off, but the results have been great. I also strain through a fine chinois before cooling.