Homemade Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

Ice Cream Base Preparation

1. In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream and whole milk. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to steam. Do not boil.

2. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the scraped vanilla bean pod to the milk and cream mixture.

3. Stir in a pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to steep for about 15-20 minutes.

Egg Yolk Mixture

1. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.

2. Slowly pour a small amount of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.

Combining and Cooking

1. Gradually pour the tempered egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly.

2. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. This creates a custard base.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Discard the vanilla bean pod.

Churning and Freezing

1. Cover the custard base with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

2. Chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until it's thoroughly chilled.

3. Once chilled, churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically for about 25-30 minutes.

4. Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container and freeze for several hours or until firm.