Very Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Oooooh Man. New favorite in town.

In all this nice scorching summer heat I needed a cool down treat. Not only did I find it, this recipe is now my go to frozen dessert. This even beats many of my favorite store bought brands (including those not so cheap pint size beauties.) *gasps*

If you love rich, creamy, smooth ice cream with a whole lotta love,

This vanilla is your vanilla.

I have a big thing with ice cream and textures and this one nailed it for me in that area as well. Not only that, it’s easy to make, and that’s coming from someone who has an arch nemesis named Custard!

This recipe is also capable of being maneuvered a little to fit everyones tastes depending on how you like your ice cream.

Cream, milk, and sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla. These are a few of my favorite things…
Lightly mix your egg yolks to break them open and measure out ingredients. I find it makes it easier to add and stir if all the items are ready.

Note: Since I did not have any lovely whole vanilla beans to use, I used Vanilla Bean Paste. You still get all the little bean seeds and the smooth vanilla taste, without having to dissect a bean. Vanilla Extract also works but you may have to add a little extra depending on your taste for vanilla.

Now, Turn on that burner! Keep it between medium and low through the custard process depending on how fast you want it to go. (The higher the temp the more likely for the eggs to cook to fast.)

Pour in cream, milk, sugar, and salt then heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. (Poke your finger in and you shouldn’t feel any grains of sugar) this should only take a couple minutes.

Then add in the vanilla and stir until it is mixed in.

For the next part I shut off my burner so I didn’t overheat anything, but this is optional.

Scoop out between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of the warmed mixture and add it SLOWLY to your eggs while mixing them. This is to raise their temperature gradually so they don’t scramble in the pot!

Once everything is incorporated nicely (don’t over whisk and make it frothy) pour the egg mixture into the pot and stir.

Turn the burner back on to medium or low and keep stirring until thickened. Stir the whole time making sure to get in the corners. This can take between 5-15 minutes depending on your heat level. I did mine close to medium and it took 8 minutes, while one at low could take the 10 to 15. To check doneness, wipe your finger down your spatula and look for a clear line that doesn’t slide off or blur.

Not done yet…..

Getting closer…

Done!

Strain ASAP!

*Taste Test*

Let cool down, then put in fridge. Preferably for 4+ hours. (Overnight is good!)

It should be about pudding consistency when it is pulled out. Pour it into your prepared ice-cream maker. (For mine, I freeze the canister overnight. Then put it in the bucket and pile in ice and rock salt around the canister.)

Turn on the machine.

The turning should take about 30 minutes and ice cream should be the consistency of soft serve when ready.

You may devour now, or put in the freezer to harden some more and save for later. You may or may not want to invest in one of those ice cream containers with locks. 😉

A Few Extra I scream for Ice Cream Tips:

– Eggs give the ice cream that velvety texture, and work as an awesome binder when freezing to prevent ice crystals but they also add to the custard (egg) like taste. You can make the ice cream with fewer eggs but it may affect consistancy.

– Homemade Ice Cream does not have all those fancy preservatives, therefore it does not hold up as well in the freezer and it’s suggested to eat it within the first week so it doesn’t get weird texture or taste wise.

– Milk and Cream can also be adjusted, but may affect consistacy.

– When Mixing in the machine it puts air into the mixture which means more bubbles, which equals more fluffy. However, that also means less rich. I taste test mine periodically until it’s just right. (Most machines are done at 30 minutes which is about right!)

– Sugar wise, this is a less sweet version to bring out the vanilla, but I have also doubled the sugar before and it is just as tasty but sweeter!