Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I couldn't let summer fly by, much less the month of July (National Ice Cream Month!) without posting at least one homemade ice cream recipe! Afterall, I am an ice cream junkie and most nights during June, July and August I can be seen with a bowl of ice cream lathered in chocolate and caramel sauce stuffing my face! Typically my favorite ice cream flavors include chocolate in some form...chocolate chip or cookies n' cream, but today it's all about good ole vanilla! Let me tell you, this Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe is pretty much the most delicious batch of ice cream I have ever tried. Good bye store bought ice cream, hello homemade for the rest of the summer!

I was first inspired to make homemade ice cream while on a 5:00AM trip to Walmart a few weeks ago when I spotted these fun little gems...mini wafer bites with white chocolate and rainbow jimmies. Why you ask was I at Walmart so stinking early? Well it was to get some surprise birthday goodies for a running friend before our 6:00AM run that morning. These wafers caught my eye while I was in the bakery section looking for some store bought cupcakes (I am ashamed to admit this giving my love for homemade cupcakes...but time just ran out for me to whip up a batch from scratch). Please forgive me for buying store bought cupcakes...but hey something good did come of it right...the idea for this homemade ice cream!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (adapted from David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop)

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:
-1 cup whole milk
-pinch of salt
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup half and half
-7 large egg yolks
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1.Heat milk, salt and sugar in saucepan. Add the vanilla bean paste into the milk. Cover, remove from heat and infuse for one hour.
2.To make the ice cream, create an ice bath by placing a 2-quart bowl inside of a large bowl that has been filled with ice and water. Place a strainer over top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.
3.In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk and gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour to temper the mixture so the eggs don't scramble. Pour the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
4.Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
5.Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice bath until cool. Add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. I kept refrigerated overnight.
6.Remove the custard from the refrigerator and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker and mixed the custard for 25 minutes.
7.Ice cream will be soft and should be eaten immediately or placed in an airtight container in the freezer to firm up for a few hours or even overnight.

If you desire add some of your favorite toppings to your ice cream. I added some fresh pureed strawberries on top and it was delish!

Promise me you will make this vanilla bean ice cream before summer is over! It is rich, creamy and I love the little black specs of vanilla bean throughout! It was soooo good, I actually made 2 batches! Check back soon because I have a great way to take this ice cream recipe one step further and turn it into a fabulous ice cream cake you are gonna love!