I used to live on the Upper West Side in New York City and just a few blocks from my apartment glowed a Milk Bar. My cousin first took me when I was visiting the city, before deciding to make the move, and to be honest, I had 0 expectations for this “cereal milk” ice cream. Sounded disgusting really. To preface, I’m not a big cereal gal. My mom and sister LOVE the stuff, look forward to it, have seconds as a treat but I’m just… not that into it (though I do love the occasional Oreo O’s or Cocoa Puffs). However, I do love soft-serve ice cream. There aren’t many shops advertising it that I can walk by, so as Milk Bar was one of them… I was willing to give it a go.

Let. Me. Tell. You. I was astounded. I don’t know what it is but the cereal milk ice cream from Milk Bar has just the right balance of creamy, sweet, and a smidge salty, all wrapped up in a slightly nostalgic little bow. When I went to pastry school in Scotland, we made ice cream to act as an accompaniment to a variety of dishes and when we were preparing it I asked the chef, “Can I add salt to mine?” After a very brief pause, he said yes, but not to add until the very end (since as those who live in any state that gets cold weather will know… salt melts ice). He asked me for my inspiration so I described this ice cream and while another one of my classmates seemed… disturbed, he was open to it.

All that to say, I had the opportunity to have access to an ice cream maker and knew I needed to attempt my own version of this recipe. So, without further adieu, please enjoy your own cereal milk ice cream at home.

Equipment:

• Ice cream maker

• Bowls

• Spoons

• Spatula

• Whisk

• Fine mesh strainer

• Pot

• Digital scale

• Measuring spoons

• Parchment paper

Yields: Approx. 2 ½ cups of ice cream

Ingredients:

• 300g heavy cream

• 300g whole milk

• 29g cornflakes

• 100g caster sugar

• 105g egg yolk

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a bowl, combine your heavy cream, whole milk, and cornflakes. Stir to combine and make sure the cornflakes are all covered in the milk/cream mixture. Cover the bowl and sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

• Once your cornflakes have been thoroughly steeped, strain them and the liquid into another bowl through a fine mesh sieve and press with a spatula to get out as much liquid as possible from the cornflakes.

• Measure your liquid to ensure you have 500g. If you have a little less, add more heavy cream to make up the difference; if more, remove some of the liquid.

• Pour your liquid into a pot and heat to scalding (a rim of bubbles around the edge of the pot). Remove from the heat.

• In a bowl, whisk together your sugar and egg yolks until combined. Then slowly whisk in your scalding milk/cream mixture ⅓ at a time, until all combined.

• Give your pot a quick rinse and dry thoroughly. Return the mixture to the pot and place over low heat, cooking until the liquid reaches 185F (85C), ensuring that your eggs are cooked. 

• Once your mixture reaches temperature, transfer it to a clean bowl and cover the surface of the liquid with a circle of parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Refrigerate overnight.

• Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes, until a nice and thick ice cream consistency. Add to a freezer-proof container* and enjoy! I love to sprinkle a little see salt and some additional cornflakes over top of mine for an added level of yum.

Notes:

• Depending on the time of year that you make this, the ice cream may start to melt quickly when you remove it from the ice cream maker, into a container. Pop your container full of ice cream into the freezer for an hour or two before serving to harden it back up.

• I received this recipe from Chef Ashley during my patisserie course in Scotland.

If you make this creamy deliciousness, tag @accentgolden in your post!