I scream; You scream...

My other half had to work late last night. Perfect time to get some cleaning done after the kiddie goes to bed, right? So what do I do instead? I make this:


Homemade vanilla ice cream; extra vanilla.

What, those flavorless strawberries from the grocery store by way of California weren't going to eat themselves!


Vanilla Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
pinch salt (less than 1/8 tsp)
2-4 egg yolks to taste
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together the cream, milk, sugar, salt and beans in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Raise the temp. to just below simmering and cook for 10mins. Temper the eggs (stir a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the eggs until they're warmed up) and whisk them into the milk mixture. Bring temp. back up to around simmering and cook for another 5-10mins until it starts to thicken. Let mixture cool, stirring occasionally. Fish out vanilla beans, and scrape out the insides adding the seed bits back into the mixture. Stir in extract.

Strain mixture into another container and chill for 2hrs. Prepare ice cream following manufacturer's directions on your ice cream machine.

Note: I only use 2 egg yolks, but if you prefer more of a custard flavor, add more. The Williams Sonoma recipe calls for 6.