Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Egg Recipes Plain Custard Base By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 16, 2017 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Yield: 1 to 1 â„ quarts Excerpted from the COOLHAUS ICE CREAM BOOK © 2014 by Natasha Case, Freya Estreller with Kathleen Squires. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Ingredients 2 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar 8 large egg yolks Directions In a 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, cream, and half of sugar. Set over high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk yolks and remaining sugar until smooth, heavy, and pale yellow, about 30 seconds. When cream mixture just comes to a boil, whisk, remove from heat, and, in a slow stream, pour half of cream mixture over yolk-sugar mixture, whisking constantly until blended. Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Whisking constantly, stream yolk-cream mixture back into pan. With a wooden spoon, continue stirring until mixture registers 165 to 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Do not heat above 180 degrees, or eggs in base will scramble. Mixture should be slightly thickened and coat back of spoon, with steam rising, but not boiling. (If you blow on the back of the spoon and the mixture ripples, you've got the right consistency.) Pour base into a clean airtight container and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours before using. Use base within 3 to 5 days Cook's Notes Use the freshest eggs available for best results. If possible, refrigerate the base for a full 24 hours -- the longer, the better. We like to chill our bases in plastic or stainless-steel pitchers with airtight lids for easy pouring into the ice cream maker after chilling. Print