Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of my favorite things.  Of all time.  So for our first anniversary, Peter and I purchased an ice cream making attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer (I believe he got some new golf clubs for his end of the deal :)  I've made several batches (can't be making it every week now...lets keep it real), and I'm getting the hang of it!  There are a few rules I've figured out:

1. Forget about making "light" or "low fat" ice cream.  Just buy the Edy's Slow Churned stuff for regular consumption, but if you're going to make ice cream, make ice cream.  It will be icy, not smooth if you use anything less than whole milk.

2. It's a three day process:  you need to remember to put the churning bowl in the freezer at least 2 days ahead of time.  Then you need to make the base the day before so it has 24 hours in the refrigerator to chill.  Then you actually churn the ice cream (which only takes 20 minutes), and it's good to let it "ripen" in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

3. Despite all these rules, it's super fun to make ice cream, and it's SOOOO good.

Milk and egg/sugar mixtures, before tempering and combining

Obviously the possibilities with this base alone are endless, but you can do a chocolate base, caramel, coffee, fruit, anything!  Lots of options online.  So go buy yourself an ice cream maker and get churnin!

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
3 1/3 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks

Combine milk and half and half in a saucepan.  Add vanilla beans and extract.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and discard vanilla beans.

While milk is heating, combine sugar and egg yolks, whisking until pale yellow and fluffy.  When milk is warm, add a few ladle-fulls to the egg mixture, whisking to prevent it from curdling.  Add the tempered egg mixture into the milk mixture and heat over medium for about 5 minutes until mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Pour into a bowl and allow to cool slightly.  Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least overnight.  Freeze in ice cream maker.  You can add any mix-ins during the last 2 minutes of churning.