Cynthia L. Herzog 
Ice cream is a must-have dessert in hot weather. Creamy, cold and refreshing, ice cream is the perfect complement to a hot afternoon.
Ice cream can be served a variety of ways, including in a cup, on a cone, as a sundae with a host of favorite toppings, or mounted on a hot waffle. This fresh treat is also prodigious in shakes or a la mode when served with pies and cakes. There is simply no end to the ways ice cream can be enjoyed.
While it’s perfectly acceptable to head to the freezer section of the nearest supermarket for a pint or two of cold produce, many people overestimate the amount of work involved in making ice cream at home. Anyone can whip up their own custom flavors and keep the freezer stocked with fresh desserts. Start with the basic ingredients for Basic Vanilla Ice Cream, courtesy of The Food Network, then customize creatively.
homemade vanilla ice cream
Makes 1 pint
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
Whisk cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl.
Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the beaten yolks, then whisk into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, coats the spoon and reaches 180 F on the thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or measuring cup; discard the solids. Stir often until the mixture cools to room temperature.
Lightly press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the ice cream in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour.
Now comes the fun part: choosing the flavors. Here are some flavor combinations to try.
1. Add crumbled pretzel pieces and peanut butter for a sweet and savory favorite.
2. Stir in oatmeal cookie pieces and baked apple pieces for apple pie-inspired flavor.
3. Turn vanilla into peach ice cream with the addition of canned peaches.
4. Nutty flavors are all the rage, so be sure to mix in creamy Nutella and chocolate cookie chunks for cookie-and-cream variety that wins.
5. Evoke the taste of cheesecake with the addition of a little cream cheese, graham cracker pieces and blueberry compote.
6. Add freshly brewed coffee to your ice cream base and caramel sauce for a dessert straight out of a cafe menu.
Anyone will scream for homemade ice cream with custom fresh flavors.
