There’s nothing quite like the taste of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. With its creamy texture and the rich flavor of real vanilla beans, it’s a dessert that’s sure to delight anyone lucky enough to taste it. Making vanilla bean ice cream from scratch may seem daunting, but with the right ingredients and a bit of patience, it’s actually quite simple to do.
The first step in making vanilla bean ice cream is gathering the necessary ingredients. For a basic vanilla bean ice cream recipe, you’ll need heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, egg yolks, and of course, vanilla beans. While you can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans, using real vanilla beans will give your ice cream a more intense flavor and those beautiful black specks that are characteristic of a high-quality vanilla ice cream.
To start, heat the heavy cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from scorching, and continue heating until it’s just about to boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are well combined. Once the cream and sugar mixture is heated, slowly pour a bit of it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. This step helps to temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling when added to the hot liquid.
Next, pour the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream and sugar. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This step is crucial for creating the custard base of the ice cream. Be sure not to let the mixture boil, as it can cause the eggs to curdle.
Once the custard base is ready, remove it from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Then, split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the empty pods to the custard mixture, and let it steep for about 30 minutes. This allows the vanilla flavor to infuse into the custard, creating a truly delicious ice cream.
After the custard has steeped, remove the vanilla bean pods and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, it’s ready to be churned in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Churning the ice cream incorporates air into the mixture, giving it that light, fluffy texture we all love.
Once the ice cream has reached a soft-serve consistency, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and let it freeze for several hours, or until it’s firm enough to scoop. Then, all that’s left to do is scoop the ice cream into a bowl or cone and enjoy the sweet, creamy goodness of homemade vanilla bean ice cream.
Making vanilla bean ice cream from scratch is a rewarding process that results in a truly special treat. While it does require a bit of time and effort, the end result is well worth it. So why not give it a try and treat yourself to a scoop of delicious homemade vanilla bean ice cream? You won’t be disappointed.