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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Source of Recipe

From "The Homemade Ice Cream Recipe Book" by Robin Donovan


Recipe Introduction

"The only ice cream as delightfully simple as classic vanilla is vanilla bean, which uses plump vanilla beans and the tiny seeds they contain to flavor the rich, creamy base. The vanilla bean is the fruit of a rare and fickle orchid and requires a lengthy and laborious curing process to develop its more than 200 different flavor compounds. By using the whole bean, this ice cream captures every nuance of flavor. You'll never call anything 'plain vanilla' again."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups heavy cream
â—¦ ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 6 large egg yolks
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 2 vanilla beans
â—¦ 1 cup whole milk


Recipe

Fill a medium saucepan about half full with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Set a medium heatproof mixing bowl over the simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.

In the bowl over the simmering water, whisk together the cream, sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture. Add the vanilla bean pods to the mixture as well. Heat, stirring constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and registers between 170° and 175° F on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.

Set a fine-meshed sieve over a second medium heatproof mixing bowl and pour the custard mixture through the sieve into the second bowl. Remove the sieve (discard the solids, including the vanilla bean pods) and mix in the milk. Stir the mixture for about 5 minutes, until cooled. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, transfer the mixture to the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker. Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes according to the manufacturer's instructions, until the mixture is the texture of soft-serve.

Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe storage container and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until it reaches the desired consistency.

Makes 1 quart