Blue Moon Ice Cream (Printable Version)
Vibrant, creamy Midwestern Blue Moon Ice Cream with a mysterious fruity-citrus twist.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dairy Base
01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
04 - Pinch of salt
→ Egg Mixture
05 - 4 large egg yolks
→ Flavoring & Color
06 - 1½ teaspoons raspberry extract
07 - ¾ teaspoon lemon extract
08 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1–2 drops blue food coloring (adjust for desired shade)
# Method:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring continuously until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture begins to steam. Do not allow it to reach a boil.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks thoroughly. Slowly drizzle approximately ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Gradually whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
03 - Cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the raspberry extract, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and blue food coloring until fully incorporated and the desired shade of blue is achieved.
05 - Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
06 - Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until the mixture is thick and creamy.
07 - Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded freezer-safe container. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving to achieve a firmer texture.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- You finally get to control that elusive flavor, dialing the raspberry and lemon up or down until it tastes exactly like the stuff you remember from the shop on the corner.
- The custard base is genuinely creamy, not icy or thin, because tempering the yolks properly makes all the difference in the world.
02 -
- If you pour the hot cream into the yolks all at once instead of drizzling slowly, you will get scrambled egg custard and there is no fixing it once it happens.
- Chilling the base overnight instead of the minimum four hours produces a noticeably smoother result because the proteins have more time to relax before churning.
03 -
- Taste the custard after adding the extracts and before chilling, because this is your one chance to adjust the flavor balance without ruining the texture.
- A single drop of violet food coloring mixed with the blue gives a deeper, more sophisticated shade that photographs beautifully and looks less artificial.