Makes about 1 1/4 quarts, or 8 servings
This is your classic vanilla ice cream, with a clean vanilla flavor and those signature flecks from the seeds of a fresh vanilla bean. If you can't find vanilla beans, vanilla paste is your best substitute.
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole or low-fat milk
- 2 cups sugar, divided use
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 6 large egg yolks
Directions
- Prepare an ice bath. Combine the cream, milk, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and the vanilla bean in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
- Whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl until thick and pale one-third of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a spoon (about 180°F). Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Set it in the ice bath. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the custard. Stir the custard every few minutes until cool.
- Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to overnight before freezing in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the ice cream in containers and let ripen in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
