The frozen custard is basically a type of ice cream rather rich in fat that can be made with an ice cream maker. Unfortunately, making it by hand is very tiring, as you have to transform the smooth and creamy consistency of the custard into a soft and light mixture. Don't have an ice cream maker? You can follow a simple vegan recipe based on pureed bananas, dates and coconut milk.
Ingrediants
Vanilla Frozen Custard
- 360 ml of liquid cream
- 150 g of granulated sugar
- 45ml light corn syrup (or 30ml honey)
- 2.5ml vanilla extract (or 1 whole vanilla bean cut and scraped)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 360 ml of heavy cream
- A pinch of salt
Vegan Frozen Custard (Without Ice Cream Maker)
- 5 ripe bananas (or 2-3 sugary apples)
- 60ml full-fat coconut milk (can be substituted for cashew milk or liquid cream if you're looking for a non-vegan variant)
- 2.5ml organic vanilla extract
- 4 dates
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Frozen Vanilla Custard
Step 1. Heat the liquid cream, sugar, light corn syrup and vanilla
Before putting the ingredients in the ice cream maker, you need to mix them to prepare a custard. Beat them in a medium saucepan. Heat them to a minimum by whisking them constantly to prevent a film from forming. Bring them almost to a boil, then immediately remove them from the heat. Once ready, the mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon.
The light corn syrup allows you to obtain a thicker and fuller cream than the classic ice cream recipe, which involves using only sugar. Alternatively, you could use some honey, but incorporate a little less to avoid overwhelming the other flavors
Step 2. Beat the egg yolks
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat them in a separate bowl or food processor until slightly thick.
The main difference between the custard base and the ice cream base is the number of egg yolks used. If you prefer a particularly rich, smooth and thick cream, you can increase the doses of the eggs, using up to 6 or 7 egg yolks
Step 3. Blend the eggs with the cream mixture
Pour a drizzle of hot mixture over the eggs, whisking constantly. You have to pour it very slowly and beat it vigorously to avoid cooking the eggs. You can stop once the eggs have mixed evenly with about half of the cream mixture.
- Alternatively, pour about a tablespoon of the mixture over the eggs, beat for a count of 10 and repeat. This process is slower, but the risk of cooking the eggs will be less.
- Hold the bowl steady by wrapping it with a rolled up towel. This will allow you to whisk with one hand and pour the mixture with the other.
- If you notice any small pieces of scrambled eggs, filter them and dilute the remaining eggs with greater care.
Step 4. Cook the mixture until it forms a cream
Return the diluted mixture to the pot along with the rest of the cream mixture. Heat it over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat once it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Try running a clean finger over the upholstery - it should leave a trail behind. If you have a cooking thermometer, bring the mixture to a temperature of 75 ° C.
Again, filter out any lumps before continuing. Also remove the vanilla pod if you decide to use it
Step 5. Incorporate the heavy cream and salt into the cream
Pour the cream into a bowl and stir in the heavy cream until smooth. Also add a pinch of salt, less than you would use for a normal ice cream base. Frozen custard is hotter than ice cream, which intensifies the flavor of the salt and sugar.
Step 6. Cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge
Press a plastic sheet onto the cream to prevent a film from forming. Place the bowl in the fridge and / or in an ice bath. Let it cool for 4-8 hours to get the best result. You can continue with the preparation even after 1 or 2 hours (as long as the cream is cold to the touch), but consider that it will take on a harder consistency.
- Keep the cream in the coldest part of the fridge, which is usually the back of the lower shelf or the back of the upper shelf (if it has an ice-making component).
- Large, shallow bowls tend to cool down faster than others.
Step 7. Prepare the cream with an ice cream maker
In industrial production a specific machine is used, but this recipe was created for home ice cream makers. Follow the instructions in the manual to freeze the base of the cream or set the ice cream maker to mix the mixture for 20-40 minutes.
- If the ice cream maker allows you to control the processing speed, reduce it to a minimum (most machines do not have this option).
- Do you want to add other ingredients? Finely chop some sweets or biscuits, freeze them and add them to the ice cream maker in the last 2 minutes of processing.
Step 8. Serve
Since the cream will dissolve quickly, it is best to eat it right away. Keep it in the freezer for a couple of hours if you prefer it tougher. Unlike ice cream, it tends to lose its texture quickly, so it's best to eat it within a few hours.
Method 2 of 2: Vegan Frozen Custard
Step 1. Freeze the bananas
Peel 5 ripe bananas. Slice or chop them into small pieces. Place them in a plastic bag or airtight container suitable for the freezer. Usually you need to freeze them for at least 4-6 hours for them to harden sufficiently.
- The pulp of the annona or other types of sugary apples (if you can find them in your area) also helps make a good frozen custard. You can also mix sugary apples and bananas.
- If you have any peeled bananas left over, you can keep them in the freezer for 4 months.
Step 2. Soak the dates
Leave the dates in a bowl full of water for an hour to soften. Plan with the times to make sure they are ready when it is time to defrost bananas.
Step 3. Blend the bananas
Place the banana pieces in the jug of a powerful blender or food processor. To start, blend them into pulses to make a pulp. Then, blend them normally: at first you should get a banana puree. Continue to blend until the mixture has taken on a smooth and soft consistency, similar to that of ice cream on tap.
It may be necessary to collect debris from the sides of the food processor, especially at the beginning of the process
Step 4. Incorporate dates and vegan milk
Coconut milk and cashew milk are good options that help make the mixture creamier. Stir until you get a smooth consistency, then eat the cream on its own. You can also garnish it with dried fruit or vegan chocolate.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, but before eating them go through them once more with the food processor.
- Homogenized vegan milk allows for a smoother cream, while non-homogenized options may leave small lumps.
- If you want to make a non-vegan variant of this rich and tasty dessert, replace the milk with cream.
