How to Make Ice Cream Like Rose Levy Beranbaum: Rose’s Ice Cream Base Recipe

Wondering how to make ice cream like Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of the wonderful Rose’s Ice Cream Bliss? We were, so we did some research.

We read Rose’s Ice Cream Bliss, and we encourage you to click the link and do the same.

It’s an amazing cookbook for the ice cream lover, and it includes a number of delicious recipes for ice cream toppings, adornments, and add-ins as well.

What’s really amazing: Rose’s cookbook provides all the possible methods for stabilizing an ice cream base: egg yolks, cornstarch slurry, nonfat dry milk, and commercial stabilizer (Cremodan 30). So you can experiment with her base recipe to find the method that is easiest and tastiest for you.

Below you’ll find our copycat recipe for Rose’s custard ice cream base.

But first, let’s summarize what Rose does differently to make her ice cream so extraordinary.

Milk and Cream: Rose says she prefers a 3:1 cream to milk ratio. But she qualifies this further: if the ice cream includes caramel, she uses 2:1 cream to milk; and if it includes honey, then she use a 1:1 ratio of cream to milk. The 3:1 ratio is similar to the base recipe from Haagen-Dazs. Rose also stresses the need to use heavy cream with 40% butterfat. If cream with only 36% butterfat is available, then Rose adds 2 tablespoons of butter to her recipe to boost the butterfat percentage.

Eggs: 7 to 11!? This is serious yolk-slinging from Rose. The only other base we’ve encountered with close to this number of egg yolks is the one from Gelato Fiasco with 10 egg yolks. You should expect a very rich and decadent custard base from Rose’s recipe!

Glucose or corn syrup: These invert sugars bond to water in the base, preventing ice shards from forming. Similar to Milk Bar, Salt & Straw, and Jordi Roca, Rose uses glucose to thicken the base, keeping it extra soft, creamy, and “scoop-able” even when it freezes. It may not be on the shelf in your local grocery, but glucose syrup is readily available on Amazon.

Heat: Heat loosens the proteins in the milk, making for a richer, milkier-flavored base. It also helps the milk proteins bind to water in the base. This keeps the base creamy, preventing ice 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 and Ample Hills, Rose recommends that the base rest in the fridge at least 8 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

ROSE’S CUSTARD ICE CREAM BASE RECIPE

Yield

1 quart

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream or crème fraiche
2/3 cup whole milk
7 (to 11) large egg yolks (1/2 cup)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons glucose or reduced corn syrup
Pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Set aside a fine-mesh sieve, a medium-sized bowl, and 1/2 cup of the cream.
In a saucepan, whisk together all the ingredients except the 1/2 cup of cream you set aside. Stir until well-blended.
Heat mixture on medium-low, stirring continually with a silicone spatula, until the consistency of the mixture is thicker than heavy cream. Using an instant-read thermometer, confirm that the mixture reaches at least 170°F but no more than 180°F. The mixture is done when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, and running a finger across the back of the spatula leaves a clearly defined line.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into the bowl. Press it through the strainer.
Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of cream to cool the custard.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate until very cold, at least 8 hours, or to 43°F.
Process as you usually would, following ice cream maker manufacturer instructions. Transfer the processed ice cream to a pre-chilled container. Place plastic wrap over the container, then cover. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.