This recipe for ice cream made with corn starch is missing quite a lot, namely cream and instructions. Making ice cream with corn starch is not new, clearly, but it has enjoyed a recent reappearance in gourmet kitchens because corn starch is used in the gelattos and cream desserts of other countries, such as India and Vietnam. It helps thicken and makes the cream very smooth once beaten and chilled/frozen, allegedly  like a frozen pudding dessert. Because the recipe from our little Farmer’s book is completely incomplete, I have reprinted the New York Times recipe from 2007 below. Click through to the recipe for flavor variations.

I think this summer I might just get an ice cream maker…

Ice Cream

2 1/2 cups light cream, half-and-half or milk (whole or skim), or a combination

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cornstarch.

1. Put 2 cups cream, half-and-half or milk, the sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. If using a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into liquid, then add pod. Cook until mixture begins to steam.

2. In a bowl, blend cornstarch and remaining cream, half-and-half or milk; there should be no lumps. Remove bean pod from pot and discard. Add cornstarch mixture to pot. Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick. Stir in vanilla extract, if using.

3. If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl. Chill until cool, a couple of hours (you can skip this step if you have a machine with a built-in freezer). When cool or if there are no lumps, pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.