Blue Moon Ice Cream (Printable)
Bright blue, creamy frozen treat blending citrus, almond, and berry flavors for a nostalgic parlor experience.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dairy
01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Sweeteners
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
→ Flavorings
04 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon blue raspberry drink mix powder (optional, for color and flavor)
→ Coloring
09 - Few drops blue food coloring
→ Egg Mixture
10 - 4 large egg yolks
# How to Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to steam and the sugar has fully dissolved. Do not allow it to boil.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to gradually raise their temperature without scrambling.
03 - Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, reaching 170–175°F. This should take about 5–7 minutes.
04 - Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.
05 - Stir in the lemon juice, almond extract, raspberry extract, vanilla extract, and blue raspberry drink mix powder if using. Add blue food coloring a few drops at a time until the desired vibrant blue shade is achieved.
06 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate the custard base for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely chilled throughout.
07 - Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
08 - Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover tightly, and freeze for at least 2 hours until it firms to a scoopable texture before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Capturing that mysterious sweet citrusy flavor at home is easier than you think, and once you nail it you will never look at store pints the same way.
- The color alone makes people grin before they even taste it, which means this is the dessert that disappears first at every gathering.
02 -
- Scrambled egg bits in your custard mean your heat was too high or you rushed the tempering step, so low and slow is the whole game.
- Gel food coloring gives a deeper, more vivid blue than liquid drops, and you will need far less of it to reach that classic Blue Moon look.
03 -
- Over churning makes the ice cream grainy, so stop the machine when it looks like soft serve and let the freezer do the rest.
- A pinch of salt in the base heightens every flavor note and keeps the sweetness from becoming one dimensional.