Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar

Preparation

1. Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape seeds into milk mixture. Add vanilla bean pod to milk mixture. Place pan over medium heat, and cook about 5 minutes or just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan, stirring often. Remove from heat.
2. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture; return to saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, over low heat, about 2 minutes or until custard mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. (Do not overcook.) Pour custard mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, discarding vanilla bean pod. Place bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, and stir custard until cool.
3. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 2-quart electric freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a 1-quart plastic freezer container. Freeze 4 hours or until firm.