Vanilla Ice Cream – custard-type

This recipe is modified from one found on All Recipes, the starting point of so much of my cooking. This is creamy and doesn’t glaciate when in the freezer for a few days, as you can see from the photo, which was taken three days after I made it. If you want to cut down on the fat content you will not have the same creamy goodness found here and you’d be better off to find a recipe designed with lower fat in mind. This is richer than the non-custard kind.

I prefer to use the microwave because constant stirring isn’t required. You can make the custard and refrigerate for a day or so until ready to freeze it into ice cream. You’ll have to follow your ice cream maker’s directions and quantity limits. This is enough for an ice cream freezer where the fill line is at 3 quarts (makes about 4 quarts when frozen). We use the old metal-canister-in-a-tub-full-of-ice kind, with an electric motor, like this.

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Vanilla Ice Cream

Rich and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups whipping cream in a carton, not whipped
• 4 cups half and half
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract you can also scrape vanilla beans in place of or to supplement extract

Instructions

1. Beat eggs together until a uniform color.
2. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy pan (stove) or bowl (microwave).
3. Stir well.
4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly (stove). If using microwave, cook for 2 minutes on high, stir thoroughly (to make sure you don't end up with tiny bits of cooked egg), 2 more minutes, stir, etc.
5. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, at least 160°.
6. Allow to cool to about room temperature or, if making ahead, refrigerate until ready to freeze.
7. If it looks a little lumpy from the eggs, strain.
8. When ready to freeze (make in the ice cream maker), stir in vanilla.
9. Pour into the canister of an ice cream freezer and follow its directions.
10. When done, if it's too soft to eat, completely cover canister with ice while still in the ice cream maker (depending on your ice cream maker) or put in the freezer until hard enough to eat.