Equipment
Ingredients
Custard Base
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 250 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
Flavor and Stabilization
- 60 g cream cheese, softened
- 10 g vanilla bean paste
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 342 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Sodium
- 196 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 191 mg
- Potassium
- 124 mg
- Calcium
- 100 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 117 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 267 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 73 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt until the mixture is pale and thick.
Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer at around 82 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not let it boil.
Slowly pour half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, preventing them from scrambling.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the custard reaches 82 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Fahrenheit). Cooking to this temperature safely pasteurizes the raw yolks.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately add the softened cream cheese and vanilla bean paste. Whisk or use a blender to process until completely smooth and the cream cheese is fully dissolved.
Carefully pour the smooth custard into ice cube trays. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until completely solid, which will take at least 8 hours or overnight.
Pop the frozen custard cubes out of the trays and place them in a food processor. Pulse a few times to break them up, then process continuously until the mixture morphs from crumbly to completely smooth and creamy like soft-serve ice cream. Serve immediately or freeze in an airtight container for 2 hours for a firmer, scoopable texture.
Chef's Notes
- Using ice cube trays allows the food processor blades to evenly shave the frozen custard, mechanically mimicking the churning action of an expensive ice cream maker.
- Cream cheese acts as a powerful commercial-style stabilizer. It reduces ice crystal formation, binds free water, and provides a chewy, premium mouthfeel.
- For variations, you can add mix-ins like crushed cookies, fruit preserves, or chocolate chips during the very last 10 seconds of processing the frozen cubes.
- If you prefer a firm, scoopable ice cream, transfer the freshly processed mixture to a pre-chilled metal loaf pan, cover tightly, and freeze for 2 to 4 hours.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — For storing the unfrozen liquid base before freezing.
Freezer: 1 month — Store processed ice cream in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface to prevent ice crystals.
Troubleshooting
The mixture stays crumbly and powdery in the food processor instead of becoming creamy.
Cause: The frozen custard cubes are too cold and hard for the processor to catch.
Fix: Keep processing. If it still will not come together, add 15 to 30 milliliters of cold milk while the processor is running to help the emulsion catch.
Prevention: Allow the ice cube trays to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before popping the cubes out.
The ice cream has a grainy texture and tastes slightly eggy.
Cause: The custard was cooked past 85 degrees Celsius and the egg proteins curdled.
Fix: Vigorously blending the hot base with the cream cheese might rescue minor curdling, but severe scrambling cannot be reversed.
Prevention: Always use a thermometer and do not exceed 82 degrees Celsius when cooking the custard.
Cultural Context
The technique of freezing and shaving a rich dairy base traces back to early forms of frozen desserts, but the modern food processor method democratized premium ice cream for home cooks without specialized churning equipment. The addition of cream cheese is a popular American bakery trick utilized to emulate the density and chew of commercial premium pints often served at summer celebrations.
