From our August, 2008 edition

There’s nothing like an ice-cream cone on a hot summer’s day. In fact, there is certainly nothing like homemade ice-cream anytime. It is the best!
For those of you who think it is a complicated process requiring expensive ice-cream making machinery, it’s not. In fact, ice-cream is simply a frozen custard – eggs, sugar and cream beaten together then cooked over low heat to make custard sauce and frozen. The ingredients are simple and the technique is simple but it is exact. However, once you read these instructions and try the luscious results, there is no turning back. You are an ice-cream addict for life! Happy slurping!!

Basic Vanilla Ice-cream
When people ask me my favourite ice-cream flavour my reply is, if its homemade, then I want vanilla made with a vanilla bean. There is no comparison between homemade vanilla ice-cream and commercial ice-cream made with artifical vanilla flavouring. The taste and texture are entirely different as you will discover for yourself when you make this. The hardest part about making this recipe is not eating all the custard before it is frozen, it is soooo good! ( P.S. feel free to serve this as a sauce for cake or fruit. Technically at this stage it is called crème anglaise.)
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
4 egg yolks (freeze egg whites and use for meringue)
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
In a stainless steel saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan. Meanwhile, with a spoon scrape the seeds from the inside of the vanilla bean and stir the bean into the cream.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Gradually whisk in the scalded cream and the vanilla bean into the egg yolk mixture. Cook, stirring over medium-low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Cool to room temperature; remove vanilla bean and refrigerate until chilled. Spoon mixture into shallow container and freeze until firm about three hours or overnight.
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The Ultimate Lemon Ice-cream
You can serve this as a semi-freddo (semi-frozen) if you wish, frozen or simply cold as a mousse.
Lemon Custard:
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon rind
2 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
In a stainless stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and eggs until smooth. Cook whisking frequently until bubbles appear and sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and pour into bowl to chill.
Meanwhile, beat whipping cream with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into cool lemon custard until a uniform yellow colour.
Spoon into serving cups and freeze. (Note: may be served immediately or frozen slightly and served or frozen overnight and serve as ice-cream.)
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Cappuccino Ice-cream Cake
This is the perfect summer birthday cake especially as it takes no more than fifteen minutes to make including clean-up time.
8 cups (2 L) vanilla ice-cream
8 cups (2 L) cappuccino frozen yogurt
1 bag (375 g) cream filled chocolate wafers
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup (125 mL) chocolate covered coffee beans
Break up cookies into small pieces and add to food processor. Process with butter cubes until cookie pieces are crumbs. Press into bottom and up the sides of a nine-inch (23 cm) spring form pan. Spoon vanilla ice-cream over crumb layer. Press down to make this layer smooth.
Spoon cappuccino frozen yogurt evenly over vanilla layer. Press down. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Spread over top layer of ice-cream; decorate with coffee beans. Store in freezer one hour or overnight. Cut into wedges to serve.
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