Blue Moon Ice Cream (Printable)
Creamy, vibrant blue frozen treat with a mysterious fruity-citrus flavor inspired by the Midwestern classic.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dairy Base
01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
04 - Pinch of salt
→ Egg Mixture
05 - 4 large egg yolks
→ Flavoring & Color
06 - 1½ teaspoons raspberry extract
07 - ¾ teaspoon lemon extract
08 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1–2 drops blue food coloring (adjust for desired shade)
# How to Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring gently until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture begins to steam. Do not allow it to reach a boil.
02 - Place the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and whisk lightly. Slowly drizzle approximately ½ cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks while whisking vigorously to temper them. Gradually pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking continuously.
03 - Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the custard boil.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the raspberry extract, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and blue food coloring until fully incorporated and the desired shade of blue is achieved.
05 - Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
06 - Transfer the chilled custard to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until the mixture is thick, creamy, and has soft-serve consistency.
07 - Scoop the churned ice cream into a lidded freezer-safe container, smooth the top, and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving to achieve a firmer, scoopable texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This tastes exactly like the Midwest in July, sweet and confusing and completely wonderful.
- The custard base makes it richer than anything you could buy, and you get to control the shade of blue.
02 -
- If your custard looks slightly curdled, strain it immediately and it will still churn beautifully.
- The flavor of Blue Moon varies wildly depending on your extract ratios, so taste the chilled base before churning and adjust.
03 -
- Chill your base overnight rather than just four hours for dramatically smoother churning.
- If you want that vivid electric blue, gel food coloring works far better than liquid drops.