Wondering how to make ice cream like Ample Hills Creamery?

We were, so we did some research.

We read Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn’s Favorite Ice Cream Shop, and we encourage you to click the link and do the same.

It’s an amazing cookbook for the ice cream lover.

The ice cream recipes are organized by moody flavor categories: blissful, curiouser, nostalgic, nutty, tipsy, sluggish, heartbroken, inspired, and plus one. Choose a flavor to match your mood, and then make some ice cream!

Below you’ll find our copycat recipe for the basic Ample Hills ice cream base.

But first, let’s summarize what Ample Hills does differently to make their ice cream base so extraordinary.

Milk and Cream: the recipe includes equal amounts of milk and cream, similar to Salt & Straw, Coolhaus, and Big Gay Ice Cream. This is about dialing in the butterfat percentage. Too little butterfat and you haven’t made ice cream, you’ve made gelato; too much and the fat leaves an unpleasant film on the back of one’s teeth.

Egg yolks: 3 of them! Less than many other custard bases we’ve reviewed before: Häagen-Dazs and Big Gay Ice Cream. The yolks thicken the base, adding structure and texture. The egg protein also emulsifies the base meaning it binds to water to prevent ice from forming.

Heat: twice-cooked, similar to Häagen-Dazs, Coolhaus, and Big Gay Ice Cream. Ample Hills cooks their base a bit longer than many other brands, as much as 10 – 20 minutes. The second heating pasteurizes the eggs. The heat also loosens milk and egg proteins, which bind to water; once again, this emulsifies the base. This keeps the base creamy, preventing ice shards from forming. Remember: ice is the enemy of a great base because ice makes a base crunchy and dilutes flavor.

Rest: Much like Salt & Straw, Ample Hills recommends the base rest in the fridge after cooking, for up to 12 hours. This gives the cooked milk proteins time to relax, resulting in more milk flavor and a smoother texture. Why? Because proteins taste better the day after they’re cooked, when they’ve had some time in the fridge to relax and develop a more complex flavor.

Contents

AMPLE HILLS CREAMERY ICE CREAM BASE RECIPE

Yield

1 quart

Ingredients

3/4 cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
1/2 cup (60 g) skim milk powder
1 1/2 cups (400 ml) whole milk
1 1/2 cups (400 ml) heavy cream
3 egg yolks

Instructions

Prepare an ice bath in a heatproof bowl or sink.
Combine sugar, skim milk powder, and milk in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth, continuing to whisk until there are no lumps. Then whisk in cream.
Place pan over medium heat. Stir often and scrape bottom of pan to prevent scorching, until the mixture reaches 110° F (45° C), 5 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Place egg yolks in a bowl. Whisking continually, slowly and gradually pour in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the hot mixture to temper the eggs. Continue whisking slowly until mixture is an even color and consistency. Then whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk mixture.
Return pan to stove over medium heat. Cook mixture, stirring often, until it reaches 165° F (75° C), 5 to 10 minutes more. (Note: some cookbooks recommending holding the mixture at 176° F for at least 25 seconds to pasteurize; they also recommend not exceeding 180° F as this will scramble the eggs.)
Transfer pan to ice bath. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour ice cream base through a sieve into covered storage container. Place in refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours, until completely cool.
Pour mixture into your ice cream maker. Process as you usually would, following manufacturer instructions. You may refrigerate the base for up to 3 days prior to churning.
Serve immediately. Alternatively, you may also freeze it for 8 – 12 hours before serving.