Homemade Ice Cream

One of the traditions we've created with our family is making homemade ice cream during summer holidays. I guess what we really make is custard, though, since the recipe has eggs in it. We've had a great time over the past several years making the ice cream with our kids and then inviting the neighbors over to sit on the deck and share.

A few years ago, the kids decided that plain vanilla was boring and that we needed to spice it up with something mixed in. We've tried candy bars, cookies, M&M's and all other candies for our ice cream but to me the best we've ever had is Oreos. We simply crush them with a rolling pin in a plastic bag so it's pretty fine. After we've eaten several Oreo cookies, we make the ice cream mix. Here's the recipe that we've used for years and the best we have been able to find:

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups whipping cream
1/4 teaspoons salt
Milk (about 5 cups or so)
1/2 bag Oreos

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until their foamy. Gradually add in the sugar and beat it until it thickens. Add the whipping cream, vanilla and salt and mix it thoroughly.

Pour this mix into the freezer can. Add milk up to the fill line on the can and stir it so it's consistent.

I usually start the ice cream freezer and let it run for 10-15 minutes before I put in the crushed Oreos. If you put in the Oreos at the beginning, they tend to fall to the bottom.

Let me know if any of you try this recipe or if you've got a different one.

By the way, the most surprising look to the ice cream came when we used mini M&M's once. We had expected the ice cream to be very colorful. What we didn't know was that as the ice cream was mixing, the outer coating comes off the M&M's, leaving just the chocalate inside remaining. Of course, the mixture of the colored coating was about like dipping the easter egg in every color so it turned out a lovely shade of brown.