Blue Moon Ice Cream (Printable)
A creamy, fruity, vibrant blue frozen treat blending vanilla, raspberry, lemon, and almond extracts into a nostalgic Midwestern favorite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Ice Cream Base
01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 1 cup heavy cream
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/8 teaspoon salt
→ Flavor and Color
05 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
09 - 3 to 5 drops blue food coloring
→ Other
10 - 4 large egg yolks
# Steps:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them and prevent scrambling.
03 - Slowly pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, raspberry extract, lemon extract, and almond extract until well combined. Add the blue food coloring, 1 drop at a time, mixing until the color is evenly distributed and reaches your desired shade.
05 - Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to strain out any cooked bits. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until completely chilled throughout.
06 - Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until firm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The flavor is a riddle wrapped in nostalgia, somewhere between fruit loops and birthday cake, and everyone who tastes it will argue about what it reminds them of.
- Making custard style ice cream from scratch is easier than it sounds and the creamy payoff is absolutely worth every minute of stirring.
02 -
- If your custard looks slightly curdled after cooking, straining it through a fine mesh sieve will usually save the entire batch.
- The flavor of Blue Moon ice cream improves after a night in the freezer, so resist the urge to eat it all immediately after churning.
03 -
- Chill your freezer container in the freezer for an hour before transferring the churned ice cream into it so the edges do not melt and refreeze into icy patches.
- Omit the almond extract and add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla if you need a nut free version that still tastes authentic.