Really Good Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

i made some kickass & ridiculously good vanilla bean ice cream and i can't wait to share the recipe with you guys! it all started with a case of having too much leftover whipping cream from my previous attempt on the apricot panna cotta. nowadays i buy whipping cream in 1L carton instead of 200ml coz its alot more worth it that way. only about 8 bucks for 1L, compared to $3.40 for 200ml, but it'll also mean i get alot of leftovers, so what could be better than to make some cold comfort food like ice cream? vanilla bean ice cream is all i eat these days and i'm glad most patisseries are using vanilla bean in their ice cream coz you just can't beat the real stuff. and yes, i turn my nose up at the cheap supermarket variety, the kind that only use essence in them. i only regret not making it any earlier but its never too late! glad i now hv my stash of vanilla bean ice cream to call my own. and it also makes me wonder what i can't or won't do *chuckles*

recipe from the perfect scoop by david lebovitz

ingredients (makes abt 900ml) :

1 cup milk

150g sugar (i reduced to 130g)

2 cups whipping cream

pinch of salt (i used fleur de sel)

1 vanilla bean, split

6 large egg yolks

3/4 tsp vanilla extract (i replaced with 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)

directions :

1. warm the milk, 1 cup cream, sugar & salt in a medium saucepan.

2. scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean as well. cover, remove from heat and let it steep at room temp. for 30 mins.

3. pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a strainer on top. in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4. stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until mixture thickens and coat the back of a spoon.

5. pour custard thru' the strainer into the cream. put the vanilla bean into the custard, add the extract (or bean paste) and stir until cool over an ice bath.

6. chill the mixture thoroughly then churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions then freeze until firm. alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream maker, you can place the mixture in a shallow metal tray and freeze, whisking every couple of hours until frozen and creamy.