Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe

Prep vanilla

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife. Reserve both seeds and pod.

Heat dairy with vanilla

Combine the whole milk, 1 3/4 cups of the heavy cream, the scraped vanilla seeds and the vanilla pod in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges (do not boil), about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20–30 minutes to intensify flavor.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the dairy steeps, place the six egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk in the granulated sugar and salt until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper eggs

Return the saucepan to medium heat and rewarm briefly until steaming. Remove the vanilla pod from the dairy and discard (or rinse and dry to reuse in sugar). Slowly ladle about 1/3 cup of the warm dairy into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Continue adding warm dairy in a thin stream (about half to two-thirds of the remaining warm milk) while whisking, until about half the saucepan is transferred to the yolks and the yolks are warmed.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered egg-dairy mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warm dairy and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon and registers 170–175°F (77–80°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5–8 minutes. Do not boil or let it curdle.

Strain and cool

Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any stray cooked egg strands and the vanilla pod remnants. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream to loosen the mixture. Place the bowl in an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with cold water and ice) and stir or whisk occasionally until the mixture cools to room temperature, about 10–15 minutes. If using vodka, whisk it in now.

Chill overnight

Cover the cooled custard with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight (8–12 hours).

Churn

Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour the chilled custard into the frozen bowl/machine and churn until it reaches soft-serve consistency, about 20–30 minutes depending on your machine.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container, smoothing the top. Press a piece of parchment directly on the surface to minimize ice crystals, then seal the lid. Freeze for at least 4 hours for a firm scoopable texture, or overnight for best results.

When ready to serve, remove the container from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping. Scoop and serve plain or with toppings of choice.