Vanilla ice cream has always been my absolute last choice of flavors. If we are out and about, and are treating ourselves, I will actually prefer anything else to vanilla. However if you add cherries, and chocolate sauce to the vanilla ice cream, then sign me up.

This vanilla ice cream recipe was given to me by another Oakhill Organics Full Diet CSA member. I have come to find out that it is a standard custard recipe that Dominic used in cooking school, to make creme anglais, ice cream, custard, and a number of other creamy, tasty delights. One of the main differences between this recipe, and Dominic’s standard custard recipe is this recipe uses raw ingredients. Dominic’s recipe instructs you to heat the milk and sugar, and then temper the eggs into the milk, sugar mixture.

This is week 5 of Reddit’s 52 Weeks of Cooking challenge. This week’s theme is vanilla. Vanilla inspires thoughts of creamy luxurious puddings so decadent you want to bathe in them, doesn’t it? The scent of vanilla is alluring, and inviting,  as well as extremely comforting, like mom’s apple pie. Marjie and Dominic both love vanilla ice cream. I thought I would dedicate this recipe and post to my sweet daughter, and my darling husband, as well as all of you other vanilla ice cream lover’s out there.

Look at how yellowish orange these egg yolks are. They taste like they look friends, fresh, and yummy. You will want to beat all the ingredients until they become a creamy pale yellow.

Then you will add your cream, and mix to combine. Please don’t be like me, and use a deep enough bowl, so after you add the cream and turn on the mixer, the mixture does not splatter everywhere.

I have made other ice creams, and they have all ended up crystallizing and getting hard as a rock over night in the freezer. This ice cream stays  soft enough to scoop. If you want pretty scoops, dip your ice cream scoop in hot water before scooping. Now that’s a mouthful.

These are cherries that we picked at Oakhill Organics this past Summer. We got acquainted with the nicest American Guinea hogs that day. Here is the recipe for my cherries and syrup. Simmer one cup of frozen cherries in a half cup water, and quarter cup sugar. Take the cherries out of the pan, after ten minutes. Let the liquid reduce until it is slightly syrupy. When it cools it will thicken more. Be sure and let the syrup cool before drizzling, so the ice cream won’t melt into delicious vanilla soup. I hope you make, and enjoy this homemade vanilla ice cream recipe with or without the toppings, for years to come.

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