Vanilla Ice Cream

My Grandmother always used to describe someone with a not so vibrant personality as “pure vanilla”. To a very colorful woman from New York who was anything but boring, this was the most unfortunate trait one could possibly possess. My Grandmother died several years ago and she is dearly missed. Unfortunately, I did not pick up the cooking bug until after she died because I so would have liked her to taste this ice cream. There is nothing vanilla about this vanilla and I know she would have loved it.

Although this ice cream is amazing on its own, one of the things I love about it is everything you can do with it. You can sprinkle everything from mashed cookies or brownies on top, let the kids pour on the sprinkles, M&M’s, toffee bits and whipped cream, pour on a little melted chocolate with Kahula or coffee or raspberry sauce or mix in some cookie batter…the possibilities are endless. You can be like Ben & Jerry and make the most outrageous flavor combo you can think of. Have fun! XO - AJ

This recipe is from "From Emeril's Kitchens" by Emeril Lagasse.

Recipe:

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise in half and seeds scraped out, seeds and bean reserved
6 large egg yolks

Combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla seeds and bean in a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl until frothy and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the mixture to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.