Recipe: French Vanilla Ice Cream (with cooked custard base)

FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM
"If you have an ice cream maker and can make a custard sauce, you can make your own ice cream. Please feel free to be as creative as you like with the recipe; you can add fruit or nuts and create any combination you like."



2 cups heavy (whipping) cream (35%)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 large egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, milk and half the sugar. Add vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat without stirring. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes, allowing vanilla flavor to infuse the mixture.

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and the remaining sugar. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. (If the hot liquid is added too quickly, you may end up with scrambled eggs.)

Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard vanilla. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and process as directed in the manufacturer's instructions.

Also used for: Smash-In Ice Creams

Makes 4 cups
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Adapted from source: Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann