Tips and Tricks for Success:

• Firstly always plan ahead as the process of making ice cream takes a bit of time. I recommend you do this over 2 days i.e., make the custard base the first day, chill overnight and then the following day simply churn and freeze. If you are using a bowl that requires freezing beforehand, you will need to pop this into the freezer for at least 24 hours beforehand (or according to the manufacturers instructions). Make sure you sit the ice cream maker bowl upright in your freezer so the embedded freezing particles inside the bowl are evenly distributed around it.
• The reason I recommend making the custard base the day before is so that it can come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge overnight to chill. If you really want to make it on the same day, I would recommend chilling it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
• Making the custard base is not a difficult process. If you have made a custard before, you will know that when it is put on the heat it requires constant stirring until it thickens (over a low heat this can take 20-25 minutes). The first step is to whisk the egg yolks and sugar. I recommend using a hand held electric beater or stand mixer (makes life easier), but you can use a wire whisk. Make sure you beat the egg mix until it thickens and becomes pale in colour.
• When heating the cream mixture, use a heavy bottom saucepan as this conducts heat better and is less likely to stick when making custards. I also recommend using a flat edged wooden spoon or spatula as this helps stir the mixture on the bottom of the pan.
• The cream mixture should only be heated until small bubbles start to form around the edges. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.
• Make sure you start whisking the eggs and sugar as soon as you have put the cream mixture on to the heat so you have plenty of time to get the eggs beaten before the cream mixture is heated through.
• Once the eggs are whisked and the cream mixture is heated through, remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream and set it aside (do not discard it yet as you will be adding it back later to allow it to infuse even more vanilla flavour into the custard base). When pouring the cream mixture into the eggs, do this slowly and make sure you are whisking the whole time.
• When the custard is put back onto a low heat, make sure you are constantly stirring the mixture now until it thickens - this is really important and requires your full attention to avoid the mixture scrambling/separating. It will take 15-25 minutes so be patient, keep stirring and do not be tempted to increase the heat. To test if the mixture is ready, you can do one of two things: the most precise way which I always do is to use a thermometer - the ideal temperature when ready is between 77-80 degrees Celsius. Otherwise you can test it by coating the back of the spoon with mixture then run your finger through it. If the finger mark stays then the mixture is ready. Remove from the heat straight away.
• Another important step when making ice cream is to strain your custard mixture once it is made. Simply strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl or jug. Some recipes don’t include this step but it is one I always do as it will create a smooth mixture without any tiny lumps.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature (stirring occasionally) before continuing to chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours (but ideally overnight). Once it has cooled to room temperature, place a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of the custard to cover which will stop a skin from forming. Then cover the bowl itself with cling film to seal before placing in the refrigerator. Chilling the ice cream base overnight is recommended.
• To speed up the cooling process before it goes into the fridge, I use an ice-bath to cool down my mixture to room temperature quickly. Simply place the bowl with the mixture in it into an ice-bath and stir often until chilled. This will cool your mixture down in about 20-30 minutes. Now cover as above and place in the fridge to chill.
• The following day when making the ice cream, always read the manufacturers instructions.
• Once churned and ready, the ice cream is a soft but spoonable consistency, so you will need to freeze your ice cream for at least 2-4 hours before using to allow it to firm up more. Alternatively, leave it in the freezer overnight and remove from the freezer for 5-10 minutes before serving. Make sure the container you freeze it in is airtight to avoid any ice crystals from forming on top of your ice cream.
• If adding any additional ingredients to flavour your ice cream, do this in the last few minutes of churning, or you can mix them through using a large spoon at the end.
• Enjoy!