THE TAKE-IT-EASY ICE CREAM
With white chocolate, milk, cream, and sugar.
Treat your guests with this heavenly white chocolate ice cream without breaking a sweat. It is ridiculously easy to make, with a perfect white chocolate flavour.
Philadelphia-style are our go-to ice creams when we are short of time yet want to make something that everyone will love. Easy and superb, they are a delightful reminder of how great it is to make our own ice cream at home.
3 more ways to make this white chocolate ice cream:
THE ITALIAN WAY. This is your hot weather ice cream: easy to make, and resistant to melting. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, corn starch.
THE FRENCH-STYLE ICE CREAM. Rich and velvety, this is a custard-based ice cream; a tad bit tricky to make, but so much worth it. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, egg yolks.
LIKE A PRO. The closest you can get to store-bought ice cream with just one extra ingredient. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, xanthan gum.
THE ITALIAN WAY. This is your hot weather ice cream: easy to make, and resistant to melting. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, corn starch.
THE FRENCH-STYLE ICE CREAM. Rich and velvety, this is a custard-based ice cream; a tad bit tricky to make, but so much worth it. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, egg yolks.
LIKE A PRO. The closest you can get to store bought ice cream with just one extra ingredient. With milk, cream, sugar, white chocolate, xanthan gum.
or see:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
• White chocolate / couverture: use real white chocolate which is made with cocoa butter; avoid the cheap fake staff which contains oil, like palm oil. If in doubt check the ingredients on the packaging: real white chocolate contains sugar, milk powder, cocoa butter and a couple more ingredients like lecithin, and vanilla.
• Heavy cream (for double cream read below): for this recipe you can use heavy cream with 35% to 40% fat content. It is ok to use cream suitable for whipping or ultra-pasteurised cream with 35-40% fat content. Do not use low-fat cream or non-dairy cream.
• Sugar: use regular sugar (white granulated sugar). Another option is raw cane sugar such as Demerara or Turbinado, which enhances the ice cream’s flavours. Do not use any other sugar or sweetener, natural or artificial, liquid or powder, like honey, stevia, golden syrup, table sweeteners, confectioner’s sugar, etc.
For UK readers: if you want to use double cream -which has a higher fat content (50%) than heavy cream (35-40% fat)- stir some milk into the double cream to bring it to the right fat content. Instructions in “double cream – how to use”.
• Milk: use whole milk; this has approx. 3,5% fat. Do not substitute with skimmed milk (lower fat) or non-dairy milk. You need both the fat and the milk proteins for this ice cream recipe.
• White chocolate / couverture: use real white chocolate which is made with cocoa butter; avoid the cheap fake staff which contains oil, like palm oil. If in doubt check the ingredients on the packaging: real white chocolate contains sugar, milk powder, cocoa butter and a couple more ingredients like lecithin, and vanilla.
• Sugar: use regular sugar (white granulated sugar). Another option is raw cane sugar such as Demerara or Turbinado, which enhances the ice cream’s flavours. Do not use any other sugar or sweetener, natural or artificial, liquid or powder, like honey, stevia, golden syrup, table sweeteners, confectioner’s sugar, etc.
• Heavy cream (for double cream see scroll to the right): for this recipe you can use heavy cream with 35% – 40% fat. It is ok to use cream suitable for whipping or ultra-pasteurised cream with 35-40% fat content.
Do not use low-fat cream or non-dairy cream.
For UK readers: if you want to use double cream -which has a higher fat content (50%) than heavy cream (35-40% fat)- stir some milk into the double cream to bring it to the right fat content. Instructions in “Double cream: how to use” notes in the recipe.
• Milk: use whole milk, with around 3,5% fat. Do not substitute with skimmed milk (lower fat) or non-dairy milk. You need both the fat and the milk proteins for this ice cream recipe.
This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipe before proceeding.
Warm the mik and sugar until hot and steamy.
Pour the hot milk into a heatproof bowl; add the white chocolate and whisk to melt.
Add the heavy cream and blend until smooth.
Strain the ice cream mixture and cool it down over an ice bath.
Chill the ice cream mixture overnight or until completely cold.
Churn in your ice cream maker until fluffed up and creamy.
Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.
As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer to a container and store it in the freezer.
When making ice cream prefer to weigh all the ingredients by weight. We also recommend weighing the liquids directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 Tbs. = 15 ml
• white chocolate/couverture: measuring chocolate by volume is impossible because measurements vary depending on how finely chopped the chocolate is. What you can do instead is to calculate the number of pieces you need based on the weight of the chocolate bar as written on the packaging. Alternatively, you can measure the white chocolate melted: 200 g; 7 oz of melted chocolate is 2/3 cup (160 ml).
• sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one); this is 13 gr of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.
• milk and cream: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
milk 41.1% / heavy cream 36% / white chocolate 17.3% / sugar 5.6%
in desired total weight of ice cream mixture.
You can combine double cream with whole milk to make heavy cream for this recipe.
To make the 415 g (14.6 oz) heavy cream, you need:
To make the heavy cream, put the double cream in a medium bowl, then pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring smoothly with a rubber spatula. Avoid whisking, as it may turn into whipped cream.
The resulting heavy cream has 36% fat, perfect for this ice cream. Proceed with the recipe, just as if you had the 415 g (14.6 oz) heavy cream needed.
*this 125 g (4.4 oz) milk is extra to the 475 g milk (16.8 oz) asked in the recipe. So, if you use double cream, you need in total 600 g of milk (21.2 oz), from which:
This white chocolate ice cream is perfect just how it is. However, if you want to boost its flavour, read below:
You do not need to head to the store and buy these ingredients only to use them in this ice cream. If you have them handy, go on and use them. If not, skip them; this ice cream will be fantastic nevertheless.
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
Make the ice cream mixture (steps 1-2) the day before you are planning to churn it; (or up to 3 days before).
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Place a rubber spatula and a whisk on a plate next to the stovetop to have them ready to use interchangeably.
Warm the milk with the sugar: in a medium saucepan, put the milk (475 g; 16.8 oz) and the sugar (65 g; 2.3 oz) and warm over medium heat, often stirring until all the sugar dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy (this is at 65° C / 149° F if you have a thermometer). Do not let it boil.
Add the white chocolate (200 g; 7 oz): pour the steamy hot milk into a heatproof bowl and add the white chocolate. Whisk until smooth and the whisk comes out clean of white chocolate pieces when you pull it out of the bowl.
Add the heavy cream (415 g; 14.6 oz.) and whisk, stopping once to scrape with the rubber spatula the insides of the bowl.
Blend the ice cream mixture with an immersion/regular blender for 30 seconds; or as needed to ensure a smooth texture.
Strain the ice cream mixture over a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Cool it down: prepare an ice bath by putting ice cubes and cold water in a large bowl and carefully nest the bowl with the ice cream mixture, taking care that no water slips into it. Let it cool down for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
If you have lots of ice, you can cut down the chilling time to 3-4 hours:
pour the ice cream mixture into a sealable bag and close the bag carefully. Place the bag in a kitchen sink filled with enough ice to have the bag fully covered. Leave it for 3-4 hours or until completely cold.
Before churning, check if it’s completely cold: a thermometer should read approx. 4ºC – 12ºC/ 39ºF-54ºF; if you do not have a thermometer, it should feel fridge-cold to the touch when you insert your index finger.
If it is not cold enough, add more ice and give it more time to chill.
Note: when you give time for the ice cream mixture to chill in the refrigerator, its flavours improve. This flavour improvement goes unnoticeable to most people. But if yours is a delicate palate, you may prefer to avoid the faster cooling method and give the ice cream mixture the time to mature overnight in the refrigerator.
When churning with a domestic ice cream maker, the ice cream mixture must be fridge-cold (4ºC–12ºC / 39ºF-54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your index finger into it).
If the ice cream mixture is not cold enough, the ice cream maker may not be able to churn it to its fullest potential, resulting in a sloppy liquid vs. fluffy ice cream.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: 4ºC–12ºC / 39ºF-54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your index finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stir: give the ice cream mixture a nice, thorough stirring to loosen it. If it is too thick, read below:
If your ice cream mixture is too thick (like yoghurt), blend it briefly with an immersion/regular blender to loosen it before churning it.
This extra step is well worth the effort because a thick ice cream mixture makes it harder for air pockets to create into it. Not enough air pockets mean the ice cream will be sloppy instead of fluffy after churning; and hard to scoop after freezing.
So if you are after fluffy ice cream, take the time to bring the ice cream mixture to a pourable consistency before churning it.
If you feel unsure about how thick the ice cream mixture should be, prefer to err on the side of fluid and give the ice cream mixture a blend anyway before churning it.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
This ice cream will expand and fluff up during churning. It is ready when it looks smooth and fluffy, with the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. The total churning time depends on your ice cream maker and could be anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
To evaluate if it is ready, lift a spoonful; it should be thick enough to stand on the spoon, but it will still be soft like soft-serve ice cream. If it looks watery or starts to melt the moment you spoon it, leave it to churn for longer.
In any case, if you feel doubts about the consistency, leave it to churn for ten minutes more. But beware: at this stage, do not expect it to be like store-bought carton ice cream; for now, it should be more like soft-serve ice cream. It will firm up and become like store-bought ice cream only after it sets in the freezer.
So, stop the ice cream maker when thick and creamy, as described above. If you leave to churn it for much longer, it will start turning grainy.
Warning: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop after a specific time, which doesn’t make sense because the ice cream may need to churn for more to reach its fullest potential. So, if you notice that your ice cream maker stops on its own and upon checking the ice cream, you find that it is sloppy instead of fluffy, try to turn the machine on again and leave it to churn until it reaches the desired texture.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· it in the freezer, uncovered
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time for the ice cream largely depends on the type of ice cream maker you use.
It can take:
Note: the times given are indicative.
Setting time depends on many factors.
Check it occasionally (approx. every 1-2 hours: or as needed) while it is in the freezer. The ice cream is ready when it has an internal temperature of -11°C / 12°F. If you do not have a thermometer, to check if the ice cream has set, insert a round tip knife into it, all the way to the bottom:
If the ice cream stays in the removable freezer bowl for too long, it will become too hard to remove or serve.
To make it scoopable again, leave it in the refrigerator to soften. That can take:
(Note: the time given is indicative, time may vary depending on many factors, so do check it occasionally as it sits in the refrigerator.)
When the ice cream is soft enough to scoop (or it has an internal temperature of approx. -11°C /12°F if you have a thermometer), you can transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer or serve it directly from the freezer bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve ice cream consistency and melts immediately upon contact with anything. So it is too messy to serve or transfer to another container.
Putting it in the freezer after churning sets it and brings it to the right consistency: scoopable and easy to serve or transfer to another container to store it.
Storing: in the freezer for one month, covered well to protect it from absorbing the freezer’s smells.
Scooping: this ice cream, like all artisanal ice cream, freezes hard in the long term. You can make it perfectly scoopable again by putting it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minuter until soft; or until its internal temperature reads -11°C / 12°F.
Make the ice cream mixture (steps 1 & 2) the day before you are planning to churn it; (or up to 3 days before).
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Place a rubber spatula and a whisk on a plate next to the stovetop to have them ready to use interchangeably.
Warm the milk with the sugar: in a medium saucepan, put the milk (475 g; 16.8 oz) and the sugar (65 g; 2.3 oz) and warm over medium heat, often stirring until all the sugar dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy (65° C / 149° F, if you have a thermometer). Do not let it boil.
Add the white chocolate (200 g; 7 oz): pour the steamy hot milk into a heatproof bowl and add the white chocolate. Whisk until smooth and the whisk comes out clean of white chocolate pieces when you pull it out of the bowl.
Add the heavy cream (415 g; 14.6 oz) and whisk, stopping once to scrape with the rubber spatula the insides of the bowl.
Blend the ice cream mixture with an immersion/regular blender for 30 seconds; or as needed to ensure a smooth texture.
Strain the ice cream mixture over a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Cool it down: prepare an ice bath by putting ice cubes and cold water in a large bowl and carefully nest the bowl with the ice cream mixture, taking care that no water slips into it. Let it cool down for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
Alternatively, to speed up the chilling process, read A faster way to chill the ice cream mixture in the questions & troubleshooting section below.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: 4ºC–12ºC / 39ºF-54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your index finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stir: the ice cream may thicken slightly after chilling; give it a vigorous and thorough stirring to loosen it (or a quick blitz with an immersion blender if it is too thick); this will allow it to churn for longer and fluff up.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes; read more in How do I know when the ice cream is ready in questions & troubleshooting below.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; read How long does it take for the ice cream to set in questions & troubleshooting below.
Serve or store: as soon as it sets, you can either serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storing.
Storing: Philadelphia-style ice cream is at its best when eaten the day it is made. If you want to keep it for longer, cover it well to protect it from the freezer’s smell and keep it in the freezer for up to one month.
Scooping: this ice cream, like all artisanal ice cream, freezes hard in the long term. You can make it perfectly scoopable again by putting it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minuter until soft; or until its internal temperature reads -11° / 12°F.
If you have lots of ice, you can cut down the chilling time to 3-4 hours:
pour the ice cream mixture into a sealable bag and close the bag carefully. Place the bag in a kitchen sink filled with enough ice to have the bag fully covered. Leave it for 3-4 hours or until completely cold.
Before churning, check if it’s completely cold: a thermometer should read approx. 4ºC – 12ºC/ 39ºF-54ºF; if you do not have a thermometer, it should feel fridge-cold to the touch when you insert your index finger.
If it is not cold enough, add more ice and give it more time to chill.
Note: when you give time for the ice cream mixture to chill in the refrigerator, its flavours improve. This flavour improvement goes unnoticeable to most people. But if yours is a delicate palate, you may prefer to avoid the faster cooling method and give the ice cream mixture the time to mature in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
When churning with a domestic ice cream maker, the ice cream mixture must be fridge-cold (4ºC–12ºC / 39ºF-54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your index finger into it).
If the ice cream mixture is not cold enough, the ice cream maker may not be able to churn it to its fullest potential, resulting in a sloppy liquid vs. fluffy ice cream.
This ice cream will expand and fluff up during churning. It is ready when it looks smooth and fluffy, with the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. The total churning time depends on your ice cream maker and could be anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
To evaluate if it is ready, lift a spoonful; it should be thick enough to stand on the spoon, but it will still be soft like soft-serve ice cream. If it looks watery or starts to melt the moment you spoon it, leave it to churn for longer.
In any case, if you feel doubts about the consistency, leave it to churn for ten minutes more. But beware: at this stage, do not expect it to be like store-bought carton ice cream; for now, it should be more like soft-serve ice cream.
It will firm up and become like store-bought ice cream only after it sets in the freezer.
So, stop the ice cream maker when thick and creamy, as described above. If you leave to churn it for much longer, it will start turning grainy.
Warning: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop after a specific time, which doesn’t make sense because the ice cream may need to churn for more to reach its fullest potential. So, if you notice that your ice cream maker stops on its own and upon checking the ice cream, you find that it is sloppy instead of fluffy, try to turn the machine on again and leave it to churn until it reaches the desired texture.
The setting time for the ice cream largely depends on the type of ice cream maker you use.
It can take :
Note: the times given are indicative. Setting time depends on many factors.
Check it occasionally (approx. every 2 hours; or as needed) while it is in the freezer. The ice cream is ready when it has an internal temperature of -11ºC / 12ºF. If you do not have a thermometer, to evaluate if the ice cream has set, insert a round tip knife into it, all the way to the bottom:
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts immediately upon contact with anything. This makes it impossible to serve or transfer to another container.
Putting it in the freezer after churning sets it and brings it to the right consistency, similar to that of an ice cream parlour’s.
If the ice cream stays in the removable freezer bowl for too long, it will harden and be difficult to remove or serve.
To make it scoopable again, leave it in the refrigerator to soften. That can take:
(Note: the time given is indicative, time may vary depending on many factors, so do check it occasionally as it sits in the refrigerator.)
When the ice cream is easy to scoop (or it has an internal temperature of approx. -11°C / 12°F if you have a thermometer), you can transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer or serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl.
