I make Philadelphia style ice cream rather frequently. I rarely make French style partially because I have a kid with an egg allergy, but also because the benefit of preparing a custard base has never seemed worth the extra hassle. I've done it on a few occasions and didn't think the extra effort was incrementally better than the egg-free style.
Many artisanal ice cream shops are skipping eggs nowadays, but use skim milk powder and often various gums to add thickness to the texture.
My quick and easy version starts with a simple ratio of 4 cups dairy to 1 cup sugar. The dairy can be all heavy cream, which is delicious (but can sometimes have a greasy mouthfeel due to the very high fat content), or part cream and part whole milk. If I'm incorporating an ingredient that adds water content (like strawberries or brewed espresso), I'll use all cream.
All you really need to do is heat the cream/sugar mixture enough to dissolve the sugar, and go from there with whatever flavors you want. For a very simple vanilla, add a tsp of quality vanilla and a pinch of salt, and let it chill before churning.
Some of my favorites off the top of my head…
- Hazelnut (steep toasted hazelnuts in the hot base for an hour or two, then strain before chilling)
- Espresso stracciatella (add a few ounces of freshly brewed espresso into the base, drizzle melted chocolate into the ice cream while churning for a flaky effect)
- Peppermint stracciatella (mix in crushed peppermint while churning, as well as drizzled chocolate)
- Toasted coconut w/ rum spiced pineapple (steep toasted coconut in hot base before chilling. Make pineapple swirl by cooking down some diced pineapples, brown sugar, baking spices, and dark rum)
- Cherry chocolate amaretto (add a few ounces of amaretto to base. Mix in fresh diced cherries and drizzled chocolate while churning)
