Traditionally, the staff of The Star-News enjoys homemade ice cream at the office some time near the Fourth of July. Last weekend was no different.

Planning for homemade ice cream led to an argument – well, maybe a discussion – about the best way to make the summer favorite when Mollie Riley boasted about her ice cream made from “junket.”

Michele Gerlach insisted that it couldn’t be as good as old-fashioned, stirred-from-a custard vanilla, and the competition was on.

Fast

Riley, who likes to claim that she can’t cook, said her recipe is easy and very good.

“This is just the way Momma always did it,” Riley said of making homemade ice cream from a mix. “Granmaw made it the old-fashioned way, but this is the way I learned.”

Riley said her family uses their own variation on the mix, but the package directions are printed below.

Very Vanilla Junket Ice Cream Mix

1 pkg. mix

1 1/4 cups whole milk

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Makes quart. Can make in ice cream freezer.

Or stir ingredients together, pour into a 9 x 5 pan and freeze until firm. Break into chunks with fork. Put chunks into small bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Return to pan and freeze until firm.

VS. OLD-FASHIONED

Gerlach said she uses the custard recipe for several reasons.

“First, it’s just good,” she said. “It’s tried and true and I know my family likes it.

“Second, I love to cook, so stirring a custard is no big deal. I’ve learned through the years that using a slower process adds layers of flavor to the final product and it’s usually worth the extra effort.

“I sometimes say that I can make anything difficult. I usually make a homemade sauce to go with the ice cream. Who does that when Hershey’s makes a perfectly good one? Then again, Bluebell and Dairy Queen both have great ice cream. ”

Her recipe is from the Southern Living Cookbook (Oxmoor House, 1987.)

Vanilla Ice Cream Spectacular

5 cups milk

2 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

5 eggs, beaten

4 cups half-and-half

1 ½ TBS vanilla extract

Heat milk in a large saucepan over low heat until hot. Combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually add sugar mixture to milk, stirring unti blended. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or yntil thickened, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into beaten eggs; add to remaining hot mixture; remove from heat and let cool. Chill at least two hours.

Combine half-and-half and vanilla in a large bowl; add chilled custard, stirring with a wire whisk. Freeze in ice cream freezer. Makes one gallon.

Note: Let the ice cream ripen after freezer stops turning. Packing in ice and rock salt and allowing it to sit at least one hour makes for a much better consistency.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

¾ cup Unsweetened Hershey’s Cocoa

½ cup sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cocoa and sugar in a medium saucepan, stir in corn syrup and oil.

Cook sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add butter, water and vanilla; cook, stirring constantly, just until butter melts. Serve warm over ice cream.