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Showing posts with label Vanilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vanilla. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VANILLA & FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

Today is Vanilla Ice Cream Day. I often serve vanilla ice cream with brownies and chocolate cake, and I often wondered "What's the Difference between Vanilla Ice Cream and French Vanilla Ice Cream?"

French Vanilla Ice Cream is a different color than Vanilla Ice Cream, and that's due to the process rather than the vanilla bean varieties, named for where they’re grown, like Madagascar, Tahiti, and Mexico. French Vanilla refers not to a vanilla variety but to the classic French way of making ice cream using an egg-custard base. The eggs give French Vanilla ice cream a smoother consistency and subtle yellow color. I definitely think that French vanilla ice cream is richer.

Vanilla Ice Cream that is made with just milk and cream, without eggs, is called Philadelphia-style vanilla ice-cream. Having grown up in Philadelphia, this was news to me.

The French Connection: Actually French Vanilla ice cream dates back to colonial times. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington used ice cream recipes that include egg yolks. Jefferson's family's ice cream recipe which calls for six egg yolks per quart of cream may have originated with his French butler.

Jefferson's recipe for French Vanilla Ice Cream: Handwritten recipe below is from the Library of Congress collection. Recipe from www.monticello.org

Thomas Jefferson's Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Bottles of Good Cream
6 Yolks of eggs
1/2 pound sugar
Stick of Vanilla

Directions
Mix the yolks and sugar put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of vanilla.

When near boiling, take it off and pour it gently into the mixture of eggs and sugar. Stir it well.

Put it on the fire again, stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the casserole.

When near boiling, take it off and strain it through a towel. Put it in the Sabottiere [the inner canister in an ice bucket], then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served.

Put into the ice a handful of salt, put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere, and cover the whole [thing] with ice. Leave it still half a quarter of an hour. Then turn the Sabottiere in the ice [for] 10 minutes.

Open it ... with a spatula [and remove] the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.

Shut it and replace it in the ice. Open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides.

When well taken, stir it well with the spatula.

Put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee. Then put the mould into the same bucket of ice. Leave it there to the moment of serving it.

To withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well [until] it will come out and turn it into a plate.

Visiting Mt. Rushmore? The Memorial Team Ice Cream shop serves up the original recipe.

Which is your favorite? Vanilla Ice Cream or French Vanilla Ice Cream

Monday, August 19, 2024

(Almost) Instant 3-Ingredient Vanilla Soft Serve

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Beyond Good Chocolate Company. I admire their company and how they work to make the world better! 

I always have a Beyond Good Madagascar 70% chocolate bar in my desk. But Beyond Good also has great quality vanilla products.  

Our mission is to change the way the world experiences chocolate and vanilla. It’s a world with too many middlemen who walk away with too much of the profit. A world where beans are stripped of their natural taste and farmers are treated like photo-ops. A world where people have been blinded to the beauty of what real chocolate and vanilla can be. We’re bringing that world to an end. 

By sourcing the best quality vanilla and cocoa in the world, directly from the farmers who grow it. By pioneering a business model that has the power to change the food industry, forever. And by inviting you to enjoy something that doesn’t just taste better, it feels better. This is chocolate, and vanilla, made right.

So for today's Soft Serve Food Holiday, here's a recipe from Beyond Good for (Almost) Instant 3-Ingredient Vanilla Soft Serve. Enjoy!

(Almost) Instant 3- Ingredient Vanilla Soft Serve

Ingredients 
2 cups (500ml) whipping cream 
½ cup + 3 tbsp (100g) powdered sugar 
1 tsp Beyond Good Pure Ground Vanilla

Directions
In a ziplock bag, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla powder. 
Seal the bag well and shake to combine. 
Press out all the air and lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm. 
Break the ice cream up into chunks and place it in a blender or food processor. 
Process until the ice cream reaches a soft-serve consistency. 
Serve immediately or transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container and freeze until firm.

OF course you can add chocolate sauce, if you'd like!

How easy is that?

Saturday, August 19, 2023

(ALMOST) INSTANT 3-INGREDIENT VANILLA SOFT SERVE: Soft Serve Day!

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Beyond Good. I admire their company and how they work to make the world better! 

"Our mission is to change the way the world experiences chocolate and vanilla.It’s a world with too many middlemen who walk away with too much of the profit. A world where beans are stripped of their natural taste and farmers are treated like photo-ops. A world where people have been blinded to the beauty of what real chocolate and vanilla can be.

We’re bringing that world to an end.


By sourcing the best quality vanilla and cocoa in the world, directly from the farmers who grow it. By pioneering a business model that has the power to change the food industry, forever. And by inviting you to enjoy something that doesn’t just taste better, it feels better. This is chocolate, and vanilla, made right.

I always have a Beyond Good Madagascar 70% chocolate bar in my desk. But Beyond Good also has great quality vanilla products. So for today's Soft Serve Food Holiday,  here's a recipe from Beyond Good for (Almost) Instant 3-Ingredient Vanilla Soft Serve. Enjoy!

(Almost) Instant 3- Ingredient Vanilla Soft Serve

Ingredients 
2 cups (500ml) whipping cream 
½ cup + 3 tbsp (100g) powdered sugar 
1 tsp Beyond Good Pure Ground Vanilla

Directions
In a ziplock bag, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla powder. 
Seal the bag well and shake to combine. 
Press out all the air and lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm. 
Break the ice cream up into chunks and place it in a blender or food processor. 
Process until the ice cream reaches a soft-serve consistency. 
Serve immediately or transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container and freeze until firm.

How easy is that?

Monday, May 22, 2023

HOME-MADE EASY VANILLA PUDDING for Chocolate Eclairs: National Vanilla Pudding Day!

Today is National Vanilla Pudding Day, and I just had to post this Retro Ad for Jell-O Pudding Eclairs. The recipe on the advertisement uses Jell-O Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling, but scroll down for a recipe for easy and delicious Home-made Vanilla Pudding that you can use in Eclairs or chocolate cups.


HOME-MADE EASY VANILLA PUDDING

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons sweet butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan and whisk together. While continuing to whisk, slowly add in 1/4 cup of milk until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks and rest of milk.
Place saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking often, until pudding begins to thicken and just starts to bubble, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and switch to rubber spatula. Stir constantly, scraping  bottom and sides of pan, until pudding makes ribbons when drizzled over surface, about 5 minutes. 
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted and completely incorporated.
Transfer pudding to container or individual cups (depends what you plan to do with the pudding). Carefully press piece of plastic wrap on top of pudding to prevent skin from forming.
Chill in refrigerator until set, about 2 hours.

Use in recipe above ... replace packaged vanilla pudding!

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

What's the Difference between Vanilla Ice Cream and French Vanilla Ice Cream?

July is Ice Cream Month. I often include vanilla ice cream with my brownies and cakes, so today I'm posting the answer to the question, "What's the Difference between Vanilla Ice Cream and French Vanilla Ice Cream?"

French Vanilla Ice Cream is a different color than Vanilla Ice Cream, and that's due to the process rather than the vanilla bean varieties, named for where they’re grown, like Madagascar, Tahiti, and Mexico. French Vanilla refers not to a vanilla variety but to the classic French way of making ice cream using an egg-custard base. The eggs give French Vanilla ice cream a smoother consistency and subtle yellow color. I definitely think that French vanilla ice cream is richer.

Vanilla Ice Cream is made with just milk and cream, without eggs, and is called Philadelphia-style vanilla ice-cream. Having grown up in Philadelphia, this was news to me.

The French Connection: Actually French Vanilla ice cream dates back to colonial times. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington used ice cream recipes that include egg yolks. Jefferson's family's ice cream recipe which calls for six egg yolks per quart of cream may have originated with his French butler.

Jefferson's recipe for French Vanilla Ice Cream: Handwritten recipe on the right from the Library of Congress collection. Recipe from www.monticello.org

Thomas Jefferson's Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Bottles of Good Cream
6 Yolks of eggs
1/2 pound sugar

Directions
Mix the yolks and sugar put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of vanilla.

When near boiling, take it off and pour it gently into the mixture of eggs and sugar. Stir it well.

Put it on the fire again, stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the casserole.
When near boiling, take it off and strain it through a towel. Put it in the Sabottiere [the inner canister in an ice bucket], then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served.

Put into the ice a handful of salt, put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere, and cover the whole [thing] with ice.
Leave it still half a quarter of an hour. Then turn the Sabottiere in the ice [for] 10 minutes.

Open it ... with a spatula [and remove] the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.

Shut it and replace it in the ice. Open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides.

When well taken, stir it well with the spatula.

Put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee. Then put the mould into the same bucket of ice. Leave it there to the moment of serving it.

To withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well [until] it will come out and turn it into a plate.

Visiting Mt. Rushmore? The Memorial Team Ice Cream shop serves up the original recipe.

Which is your favorite? Vanilla Ice Cream or French Vanilla Ice Cream

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Vanilla vs French Vanilla Ice Cream: History and Thomas Jefferson's Recipe

Today is Vanilla Ice Cream Day. O.k. not chocolate, but I often include vanilla ice cream with my brownies and cakes, so today I'd post the answer to the question, "What's the Difference between Vanilla Ice Cream and French Vanilla Ice Cream?"

French Vanilla Ice Cream is a different color than Vanilla Ice Cream, and that's due to the process rather than the vanilla bean varieties, named for where they’re grown, like Madagascar, Tahiti, and Mexico. French Vanilla refers not to a vanilla variety but to the classic French way of making ice cream using an egg-custard base. The eggs give French Vanilla ice cream a smoother consistency and subtle yellow color. I definitely think that French vanilla ice cream is richer.

Regular vanilla ice cream made with just milk and cream, without eggs is called Philadelphia-style vanilla ice-cream. Having grown up in Philadelphia, this was news to me.


The French Connection: Actually French Vanilla ice cream dates back to colonial times. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington used ice cream recipes that include egg yolks. Jefferson's family's ice cream recipe which calls for six egg yolks per quart of cream may have originated with his French butler.

Jefferson's recipe for French Vanilla Ice Cream: Handwritten recipe on the right from the Library of Congress collection. Recipe from www.monticello.org

Thomas Jefferson's Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Bottles of Good Cream
6 Yolks of eggs
1/2 pound sugar

Directions
Mix the yolks and sugar put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of vanilla.

When near boiling, take it off and pour it gently into the mixture of eggs and sugar. Stir it well.

Put it on the fire again, stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the casserole.
When near boiling, take it off and strain it through a towel. Put it in the Sabottiere [the inner canister in an ice bucket], then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served.

Put into the ice a handful of salt, put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere, and cover the whole [thing] with ice.
Leave it still half a quarter of an hour. Then turn the Sabottiere in the ice [for] 10 minutes.

Open it ... with a spatula [and remove] the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.

Shut it and replace it in the ice. Open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides.

When well taken, stir it well with the spatula.

Put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee. Then put the mould into the same bucket of ice. Leave it there to the moment of serving it.

To withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well [until] it will come out and turn it into a plate.

Visiting Mt. Rushmore? The Memorial Team Ice Cream shop serves up the original recipe.

Which is your favorite? Vanilla Ice Cream or French Vanilla Ice Cream