Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I scream, I scream, we all scream for Ice Cream! ‘Tis the season for cooling off with frozen treats and I can’t think of a more satisfying dessert than a bowl of homemade ice cream. A custard base, extra vanilla bean and just the right amount of sweetness, this Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is faultless.

Did you all have a good 4th of July? I love that it fell on a Friday this year because it’s a justifiable reason to celebrate all weekend. We kept things super low key. We had planned on going camping but changed our mind at the last minute and stayed close to home. I went for a great hike in the morning and then we spent most of the day at the pool. We had a picnic lunch, took an afternoon nap and then spent the evening with friends bbq’ing and watching fireworks. A sunny day, the pool, good food, my family and a hike with my dog- it doesn’t get much better than this.

A few years ago my husband was away working over Mother’s Day. He called me in the morning to wish me a happy Mother’s Day and to apologize for not getting me anything. Not skipping a beat, I informed him that he indeed did get me something- a new ice cream maker. It was silence followed by confusion before I explained to him that I knew he wouldn’t have planned ahead to get me anything so I took matters into my own hands and ordered myself a gift and he’d be getting the bill on his credit card later that month. I actually wrapped it and wrote myself a card too. We laugh about it every time I pull the ice cream maker out and the novelty of the gift is never lost on us.

As much as I love to make more grown up versions of ice cream, vanilla bean is the most requested amongst my big and little boys. I go heavy on the vanilla and make a light custard base. This ice cream is the perfect canvas for homemade caramel sauce and candied nuts or perhaps some sliced up seasonal fruit. If you find yourself eating it plain jane straight from the the freezer, no one will blame you.

Have a great rest of the holiday weekend, everyone!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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• Yield: 1 quart 1x

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Description

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is great in root beer floats, in a sundae or as is on it’s own!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Over medium heat, warm the milk, sugar, 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream and the salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into the milk mixture and add the skins to the mixture as well. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, cover the mixture and let it steep for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Remove the vanilla beans and slowly pour the still warmed vanilla cream/milk mixture into the egg yolks whisking constantly.
4. Pour the ice cream base back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. This should take about 8 minutes and be careful not to let the mixture come to a boil.
5. Pour the ice cream base through the fine-mesh sieve and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream. Stir in the vanilla extract and place the bowl over an ice bath or leave on the counter until the mixture is cooled. Cover and transfer the ice cream base to the refrigerator until completely chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. When ready to churn the ice cream, freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer.