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Growing up, homemade ice cream was a special summer treat I always looked forward to.

It was special because the only kind of ice cream freezer we had then was the kind you turned with a crank. And it seemed to take forever. I remember at Grandma and Granddad’s house, the grandkids got to take turns with the crank.

The recipe was pretty basic — vanilla, of course — but to be honest, I don’t remember it and can’t seem to find a copy anywhere. And that’s probably for the best.

Back in those days, homemade ice cream was made with raw eggs.

Eggs are a standard ingredient in most homemade ice cream recipes. They add flavor and color, prevent ice crystallization, and make for that smooth and creamy texture. While commercially manufactured ice cream is typically made with pasteurized eggs or egg products, recipes for homemade ice cream often use raw eggs in the base mixture.

But just like ice cream makers have advanced (electricity makes so many things much easier!), so have ice cream recipes. Homemade ice cream can now be made with eggs without the risk of salmonella infection by preparing it safely.

University of Nebraska Extension offers these tips to make a cooked egg base (also known as a custard base):

— Combine eggs and milk as indicated in the recipe. (Other ingredients, such as sugar, may be added at this step.)

— Cook the mixture gently to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, stirring constantly. The cooking will destroy any salmonella bacteria that might be present. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the mixture. At this temperature, the mixture will firmly coat a metal spoon (but please don’t lick the spoon if the custard is not fully cooked!).

— After cooking, chill the mixture before adding other ingredients and freezing.

Here I’ve included recipes for two flavors that are made in a traditional ice cream machine: Vanilla Frozen Custard Ice Cream and Salty Caramel Ice Cream; and two that don’t even require an ice cream maker at all. Ice Cream in a Bag is pretty self-explanatory and is perfect for kids to make on a hot day. The other is for Easy Malted Ice Cream that you mix with a hand mixer than pop it in the freezer.

And once you have ice cream, you have to have toppings. Hot fudge and strawberry are two popular ones. But what you can make at home is better than what you can buy in the store.

Happy summer!

Vanilla Frozen Custard Ice Cream

6 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

Crushed ice

Rock salt

To make the custard, beat eggs, sugar, honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium heavy saucepan until blended; stir in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately.

To cool quickly, set pan in larger pan of ice water; stir occasionally and gently for a few minutes to hasten cooling. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Pour chilled custard, whipping cream and vanilla into 1-gallon ice cream freezer can. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions, using 6 parts crushed ice to 1 part rock salt. Transfer to freezer containers, allowing head space for expansion; freeze until firm.

Recipe from: American Egg Board at

http://www.incredibleegg.org

If you want something more than basic vanilla, salted caramel is a popular flavor.

Salty Caramel Ice Cream from Jeni Britton Bauer uses two secrets in her recipe. She adds an extra layer of flavor with softened cream cheese. And the other is the dry-burn technique of making caramel; it’s faster than using water, but it also requires standing over the sugar with a heatproof spatula to make sure it doesn’t burn. Don’t let that scare you, it a pretty easy technique and it’s quick.

Salty Caramel Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk, divided

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1-1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1-1/4 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix the cream with the corn syrup in a measuring cup with a spout. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Heat the sugar in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stand over the pan with a heatproof spatula ready, but do not touch the sugar until there is a thin ring of melted and browning liquid sugar around the edge of the sugar. When the edges of the melted sugar begin to darken, use the spatula to bring them into the center to help melt the unmelted sugar. Continue stirring and pushing the sugar around until it is all melted and evenly amber in color, like an old penny.

When little bubbles begin to explode with dark smoke, give the sugar another moment and then remove from the heat. Immediately, but slowly, pour about 1/4 cup of the cream and corn syrup mixture into the burning hot sugar. Be careful — it will pop and spit. Stir until it is incorporated, then add a bit more cream and stir, then continue until it is all in. Do not worry if the melted sugar seizes and solidifies.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the rest of the milk and vanilla. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, and gradually whisk in the slurry.

Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. If any caramel flecks remain, pour the mixture through a sieve.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Pour into ice cream-maker canister and freeze according to product instructions. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes 1 quart (or a little less).

Recipe from: “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home” by Jeni Britton Bauer

Looking for other options besides cooking the eggs? Egg substitute products or pasteurized eggs can also be used in ice cream. With the egg substitute products, you might have to experiment a bit with the recipe to figure out the right amount to add for the best flavor. Pasteurized eggs in the shell can be substituted in recipes that call for uncooked eggs but are only available in some supermarkets. Another option is using a recipe without eggs.

Here is an easy and safe recipe for ice cream that kids can make on a hot summer day.

Ice Cream in a Bag

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons soft fruit such as strawberries, bananas or canned peaches

1/2 cup whole milk (lower fat milk can also be used)

Ice

1/3 cup rock salt

One quart freezer zip-type bag

One gallon freezer zip-type bag

Open a quart zip-type bag; add sugar, vanilla and soft fruit. Seal bag tightly and mix well by squeezing with fingers.

Open bag and add milk. Squeeze out extra air, zip tightly and mix well.

Open a gallon zip-type bag, add rock salt and fill halfway with ice cubes.

Put quart bag inside gallon bag, seal well and shake bag for 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid has changed to ice cream.

Makes 1 serving.

Helpful hints: Make sure the bags are tightly closed before mixing or you’ll have a mess! It takes lots of shaking and turning before the liquid turns to ice cream. Hands get really cold holding the bag, so either wrap it in a towel or use oven mitts to hold the bag while shaking. Be careful when removing the small bag of ice cream from the larger bag. Rinse it off and be careful you don’t get any rock salt in the ice cream.

Recipe from: University of Nebraska Extension

This ice cream is made without the need for an ice cream maker. So if you haven’t gotten around to buying one — or don’t have the space for one — this luscious and super rich frozen treat is perfect for you.

This recipe features an old-fashioned malt flavor, but you can leave that out if you’d prefer plain vanilla.

If you want to make chocolate, whisk 1/3 cup cocoa powder into the cream. You also can freeze the mixture in individual dishes if you like.

Easy Malted Ice Cream

Start to finish: 8 hours (15 minutes active)

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

9 egg yolks

1 quart heavy cream

3/4 cup malted milk powder

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk half of the sugar with the egg yolks. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, malted milk powder, salt and the remaining sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Once the cream mixture is hot, while whisking the eggs pour the cream slowly into the bowl of eggs. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate the mixture until completely chilled, about 4 hours.

When the mixture is completely chilled, beat with an electric mixer until thick, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Enjoy within 3 days.

Makes 2 quarts.

Recipe from: Alison Ladman

Hot Fudge Sauce

Start to finish: 10 minutes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup corn syrup

8 ounces semisweet chocolate bits

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the heavy cream and corn syrup. Microwave on high until hot and bubbling. Add the chocolate bits and let sit for 2 minutes. Gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted and combined with the cream. Cover to keep warm.

Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Strawberry Topping

Start to finish: 20 minutes (5 minutes active)

1 pound fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon orange liqueur (optional)

Toss the ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes, or until visibly juicy.

Makes 2 cups.