Philadelphia vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
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Philadelphia ice cream contains only cream, sugar, and flavoring. It goes back to the 1800s, when Mrs. Lincon, writing in The American Kitchen, explained that Philadelphia ice cream is the ice cream made without eggs. Scalding the cream intensifies the flavor of both the cream and the vanilla. Use a hand-cranked ice cream maker or the new ice cream machines for the best results.
- 1 quart half-and-half or light cream;
- 3⁄4 to 1 cup sugar;
- A few grains of salt;
- 11⁄2 tablespoons vanilla.
- Scald the half-and-half or light cream. Add the sugar and salt. Cool. Add the vanilla. Chill, then transfer to the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. If desired, prepare one of the following variations.
- CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM: Add 1 cup (6 ounces) miniature chocolate chips to the cooled mixture, or coarsely chop an 8-ounce milk chocolate bar and add to the cream before cranking and freezing.
- PEPPERMINT CHIP ICE CREAM: Add 1 cup chopped peppermint stick candy when ice cream is about half frozen.
- RUM-RAISIN-NUT ICE CREAM: Soak 1⁄2 cup raisins in 1⁄2 cup rum for 30 minutes. When the ice cream is finished, add the raisins and rum and continue cranking until they are mixed in and the ice cream has refrozen. Blend in 1⁄3 cup chopped toasted walnuts with a spoon or spatula.