Vanilla Ice Cream
Classic French-style ice cream with rich vanilla flavor and a silky, creamy texture.
Ingredients
milk
500 ml
heavy cream
50 ml
vanilla bean (or a pinch of vanilla extract)
1
egg yolks (brought to room temperature)
6
granulated sugar
130 g
Instructions
1
Heating the Cream Mixture
Pour the milk and heavy cream into a pot, then add the vanilla bean and vanilla seeds (if using vanilla extract, hold off on adding it for now). Heat over medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon, and turn off the heat as soon as it reaches a boil.
2
Egg Yolks with Sugar
Place the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a stainless steel bowl, and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and glossy.
3
Combining the Mixture
Add half of the mixture from step 1 to the bowl in step 2 and whisk immediately. Be careful: if you do not whisk quickly, the egg yolks will curdle. Once everything is evenly combined, pour the mixture back into the pot from step 1.
4
Cooking the Custard
Return the pot to medium heat and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture just below a simmer. Slowly cook the custard until thickened. Lift some custard with a wooden spoon; if tracing a line across the back of the spoon with your finger leaves a clear mark, turn off the heat.
5
Straining and Cooling
Immediately strain the custard slowly into another stainless steel bowl set over an ice bath. Cool it down while scraping up from the bottom with a rubber spatula and stirring quickly (if using vanilla extract, stir it in at this point).
6
Freezing and Stirring
Once the custard is fully cooled, pour it into a freezer-safe container, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer. After about 1 hour, when it just begins to set, take it out and stir with a fork, then re-cover and continue freezing for 5 to 6 hours. During this period, remove the container from the freezer 3 to 4 times, stirring with a fork each time before returning it to the freezer.
