We are in the privileged position to be one of the first to see the emergence of a new trend in the world of ice cream. This is, in large part, due to the fact that we are often asked for advice and guidance on the best way to incorporate these trends into the business, ultimately transforming them into a viable (not to mention profitable) product.
One emerging trend we have noticed in particular is that more and more people are asking us for an increasing number of frozen custard recipes.
So why has frozen custard become popular?
Business owners are constantly looking at ways to add value to their business and find that true point of difference from others in the industry to make them stand out to customers.
Now, there aren’t many out there that dislike custard, so why not take advantage of what is already a beloved dessert accompaniment and utilise its popularity within your ice cream cabinet or soft serve machine?
But what is frozen custard I hear you ask?
Frozen custard is an American concept; the mix for this is typically egg yolk, milk, cream, sugar and occasionally sweeteners.
In comparison to most American style ice creams (which are usually served between -18°c and -21°c), frozen custard is rather different, with a serving temperature of -9°c and -12°c. This ultimately creates a more luxurious feeling product.
Creating your frozen custard
When we think of the fat content, the traditional American frozen custard, the mix of fats is typically around 10% of the total solids. Now in the UK this figure is just about average for fats within a gelato or ice cream, but in America this is a relatively low figure, with American ice cream coming out at anywhere between 14% and 24% total fats.
But what is really key within a traditional frozen custard is there must be at least 1.4% egg solids in the recipe. Now in the world of the UK’s ice cream market we live in a slightly more lawless land when it comes to these parameters, we certainly don’t have to follow these precisely, but in trying to work within them we can create a similar style (not to mention tasty) product.
When forming your recipe for frozen custard we recommend using a higher amount of cream to provide more milk fats, as well as slightly higher sugar to create a sweeter product.
For stabilisation you could use your usual plant-based stabilisers, or you may even choose to use pasteurised egg yolk to provide this. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that if you follow the American example of 1.4% for your stabilisation, this limits the shelf life to 1-2 days.
Batch freezing vs soft serve
So, when we look at making a frozen custard, we need to ask ourselves, what is it for? Will it be used for soft serve or for your batch freezer?
For a batch freezer, it is likely you will just flavour your typical base mix so that it tastes like custard. Adding an egg yolk sugar solution style product into your base mix (at a dosage of 10-15%) can create a custard flavoured ice cream.
However, realistically, the serving temperature that your recipe would require will not typically work well with the other ice cream and gelato products in your cabinet. Changing your whole cabinet for one flavour is simply not viable, therefore your frozen custard really lends itself well to soft serve.
Flavouring your frozen custard
As we have discussed previously when we were getting ready to crumble, flavoured crumble adds dimension to a product, and none more so than frozen custard. You could also use one of the wide variety of tasty Variegatos that are on the market.
Some of our personal favourites when it comes to flavouring frozen custard include:
- Apple and cinnamon ripple and caramelised biscuit crumb
- White chocolate ripple with a red fruits biscuit crumb
- Or even, dark chocolate stracciatella with a pistachio-style biscuit crumb.
If there has ever been a time to jump on the frozen custard trend, now would be it. The UK ice cream industry is already set up to accommodate frozen custard as a delicious alternative to our traditional ice creams or gelatos, so why not try it in your parlour?