Vanilla Ice Cream with Crunchy Walnuts

Preparing homemade vanilla ice cream with crunchy walnuts can be a very rewarding experience. Here is a recipe to create this delicious treat:

Ingredients

For the vanilla ice cream:

• 500 ml of fresh cream
• 250 ml of whole milk
• 150 g of sugar
• 1 vanilla pod (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract)
• 6 egg yolks

For the crunchy walnuts:

• 100 g of coarsely chopped walnuts
• 50 g of granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon of water

Preparation

For the vanilla ice cream:

1. In a saucepan, mix the cream with the milk. If using a vanilla pod, split it lengthwise and scrape the seeds, adding them to the milk along with the pod itself. Alternatively, add the vanilla extract.
2. Heat the mixture until it is almost boiling, then turn off the heat and let it infuse for about 15 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a light and fluffy mixture.
4. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk if you used one, and slowly pour the hot milk over the yolks, stirring continuously.
5. Return the mixture to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens and coats the back of a spoon (it should not boil).
6. Strain the cream to remove any lumps and allow it to cool completely in the refrigerator.
7. Once cold, pour the cream into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can put the cream in the freezer and stir it every hour for the first 4-5 hours to break up the ice crystals.

For the crunchy walnuts:

1. In a pan, dissolve the sugar with the water over medium heat until you get a golden caramel.
2. Add the chopped walnuts and stir quickly to coat them well in caramel.
3. Pour the walnuts onto a sheet of parchment paper and let cool.
4. Once cool, break them into desired size pieces.

Finishing:

1. Add the crunchy walnuts to the ice cream when it is almost completely churned.
2. Transfer the ice cream with the walnuts into a container and place it in the freezer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Curiosity

Did you know that the ice cream as we know it today saw significant developments in Italy during the Renaissance? It was indeed a Florentine alchemist who first codified the process of freezing sweet cream to turn it into the delicious dessert we all love. By adding a crunchy touch like caramelized walnuts, we pay homage to that evolution, combining taste and texture for a more complete tasting experience.