Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream (adapted from Perfect Scoop via use real butter)

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half length wise

6 large egg yolks

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

ice bath (I just chilled some water in the freezer while making the custard)

1.  Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of cream and salt (do not boil!).  Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean and add that to the milk mixture.  Throw the bean pod in too.  Cover and remove from heat, steep for 30 minutes.

2.  Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top (important!  I ended up overcooking my custard a little so had to strain out some cooked egg). 

3.  In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Then add the milk mixture from step 1 very slowly, while whisking the yolks continuously.  When everything is mixed, pour back into suacepan.  Heat again over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens and coats the back of your spatula.  

4.  Pour custard through the strainer into the cream.  Add the vanilla extract and cool the mix over the ice bath.  Chill the mixture completely in the fridge (I left mine in for 24 hours because I have a job).

5.  When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean and follow your ice cream machine's instructions.  You can rinse and dry the vanilla bean and throw it in some sugar to make vanilla sugar.  

Edit by Monkey:
Ginger Ice Cream Variation

Instead of adding vanilla bean, add 1/2 cup of chopped fresh ginger to the cold cream and milk mixture.  Warm this up and then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.  Heat back up again and then strain the ginger out.  Proceed from there as with vanilla ice cream.