I’m definitely my father’s daughter. I have his smile, his goofy sense of humor, and I lurvvv ice cream!

Not sure why it took so long, but I finally broke down and bought an ice cream maker last year. And I’ve spent the better part of that time experimenting to find the best ice cream recipes. By far my fave is my version of vanilla ice cream. It’s creamy and really versatile. I’ve topped it with berries, dark chocolate sauce, and homemade fruit sauces – yumfest!

Here’s my recipe for Ultra-Vanilla Ice Cream:

3 cups heavy whipping cream (’nuff said!)
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I wouldn’t go with anything less)
2/3 cup maple syrup (the pure stuff)
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla (Use the best quality pure vanilla you can – it DOES make a difference!)

Mix everything together in a medium bowl and toss it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. (I find I get the best results doing this first.) Get the ice cream maker out (follow manufacturer’s instructions for freezing the bowl). Stir the mixture once more, then pour into the bowl. After 25 minutes, you’ve got ice cream! If you want a firmer texture, remove the ice cream from the bowl (at least, that’s what my manufacturer says) and place into another one to freeze for an hour or so.

Yes, it’s that simple.

Enjoy!

~Melia