Saturday, February 28, 2015

Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream



This is the first type of ice cream that I made with my ice cream maker last summer, and it's been a go-to ever since. It amazingly easy to put together and requires very little effort - the only thing required for success is preparation and patience. The ice cream base should sit at least 8 hours in your fridge to ensure the sugar dissolves and the mixture is properly chilled, and then for optimal texture I recommend that you plan to leave it in your freezer to set for at least 6 hours (overnight is even better!).  This is a really great dessert item you can bring to a dinner party because it goes great along most baked goodies like brownies or cake, and even works as a standalone dessert because it's so rich.  This ice cream makes people fight over the last spoonfuls straight from the container, and it  will convert anyone who isn't sure if homemade ice cream is da bomb.


Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 20 Oreo cookies
Special equipment:Ice cream maker

Directions:
  1. Mix the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for  8-24 hours. 
  2. Once the cream base has chilled, place the Oreo cookies in a large ziploc bag, pressing the air out and sealing. Use a mallet or rolling pin to roughly crush the cookies into small pieces, aim to have the pieces no bigger than a quarter.
  3. Pour the cream base into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions (mine took 30 minutes of churning total). When the ice cream is 5 minutes from being done in the machine add the salt and cookies. 
  4. Scoop the ice cream into containers, then place them in the freezer to set up for at least 6 hours (overnight is best!). 
  5. Serve immediately after removing from the freezer. The ice cream should keep for 3-5 days.