Peanut Butter Ice Cream

We blog about this recipe here.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Servings: makes a scant quart
Print

If you’re in a hurry and want to avoid the tricky egg cooking, you can omit the egg yolks entirely and simply whisk all of the ingredients together and then freeze. You’ll give up the custardy taste, but it will still be yummy. In a taste test Andy and I actually preferred the ice cream made without the yolks. Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark and the NYTimes.

1 c whole milk
2 c heavy cream
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp Diamond kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 c creamy or chunky peanut butter AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
4 large egg yolks – ONLY if you are doing the custard-based ice cream (Melissa suggests using 6 yolks)

For ice cream without the custard base (i.e., no eggs): carefully whisk the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, and peanut butter until smooth (note: the mixture will want to splatter, so adding the cream and milk a little at time will help). Freeze immediately in the ice cream machine – or refrigerate and freeze it later in the day or even the next day.

For ice cream with a custard base: In a small pot, simmer cream, milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Then, whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return the pot to medium-low heat and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Whisk the mixture until all is blended and smooth. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours before freezing in the ice cream machine.

Melissa Clark has a wealth of other flavoring suggestions, using this ice cream base – with the peanut butter omitted. We suggest replacing the P.B. with 1 c of Nutella for a fun variation. Recipe brought to you by BigLittleMeals.com and Andy and Ann.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream