Alton Brown shared some “trade secrets” for making excellent ice cream.  He also clarified that the ice cream recipes including eggs are more like a custard and are called New York Style.  While the ones without eggs are called Philadelphia Style.  Personally I prefer Philadelphia style ice creams.  I’ll save the eggs for breakfast!

Here is the Serious Vanilla Ice Cream recipe he shared:

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit’s instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.

This recipe would work great in the Play & Freeze.  The cooler the mixture and the longer it has had to set, the better tasting the ice cream.  Even though the recipes for the ice cream ball can be as simple as half n half, sugar and vanilla, and the kids will love mixing it themselves, for parties I would suggest making up batches of Alton’s vanilla ice cream and letting the kids add mix-ins to it during the ice cream making process.

Bailey’s Sundae Coffee Drink (serves 6)

12 cups brewed coffee

1 pint French vanilla ice cream (homemade is best!)

12 fluid ounces Irish cream liqueur

Brew 12 cups of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, fill each cup with a scoop of ice cream. Be sure to use large cups (the oversize types you get at coffee houses are best).

Top each scoop of ice cream with just enough Irish cream so that the ice cream looks lightly coated.

When the coffee is brewed, pour it so that each cup is filled up about halfway. It is then up to each individual to add more Irish cream, half-and-half or sugar to taste.

– Recipe submitted by KAF5978 on Allrecipes.com

This is an excellent twist on the idea of the ice cream float because you don’t have to worry about the ice cream melting — you want it to melt!

Check out our GREEN Ice Cream Balls for a festive way to make ice cream this St Patty’s Day!

1 c. orange juice
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 c. lemon lime soda
1 orange slice

Fill each glass with 1/4 cup orange juice. Add one scoop vanilla ice cream. Add 1/2 cup lemon lime soda. Stir with small spoon to mix soda and orange juice. Garnish with quartered orange slice and serve. Serves 4.

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup crushed ice
2 to 3 drops vanilla flavoring (not artificial)
1 12 ounce can Moxie

Place one scoop of ice cream and other ingredients into a blender and process on high until smooth.

Pour into a chilled fountain soda glass and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Serve with a straw and a spoon.

Note: you can substitute root beer or Coca-Cola for the Moxie but it won’t be a Moxie float!

2 oz Orange Granita (see recipe)
4 oz Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2 oz Orange Soda (Stewards is the best)

Using a fork, scrape half of the orange granita to create a shaved ice effect and layer in a rocks glass. Add half the ice cream on top of granita mixture. Then repeat granita mixture and top with a perfect round scoop of ice cream and finish by pouring orange soda over the top to create the float effect.

Orange Granita

1 can Stewards Orange Soda
1 T. Salt

Pour soda in to a small tempered glass bowl and mix in salt. Place in freezer until mixture is frozen solid about 1 hour.

2 c. soy creamer (or any non-dairy milk)
2 c. soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1 vanilla bean
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot

Mix ¼ cup of soy milk with the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and set aside.

Mix the soy creamer and soy milk together in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the milk. Drop the bean shell into the milk too. Bring to a slight boil, then lower the temperature and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes.

Remove the vanilla bean shell. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a boil again. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools).

Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Lazy Vanilla

2 c. soy creamer (or any non-dairy milk)
2 c. soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot
2 t. vanilla extract (choose a high-quality brand; none of that imitation stuff either!)

Mix ¼ cup of soy milk with the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and set aside.

Mix the soy creamer, soy milk, and sugar together in a saucepan. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools).

Stir in vanilla extract.

Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

These recipes are courtesy of a great ice cream blogger: A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

*Using whole cream makes a richer creamier ice cream. Using part milk and half and half makes a lighter ice cream, but takes longer to freeze.

Yield: about a pint of smooth and creamy ice cream.