French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is a treat everyone should have each summer. You can add crushed Oreos, chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles at the very end to make a more customized version. I prefer this ice cream as-is with a touch of fresh vanilla bean. I often make this ice cream with 2% instead of whole milk. I would also warn you against adding in additional heavy cream. If you add more cream thinking ‘more is better,’ you will be disappointed with the results. Too much heavy cream will bring out the flavor of butter, rather then a sweet vanilla ice cream.
Gather all of the ingredients.
Separate the egg yolks one at a time. It will make it easier to remove any bits of shell that might remain after cracking.
Instead of passing the egg yolks from one half of the shell to the other, it is more efficient to use your hands. Pour the egg over your fingers and let the whites drip through into a bowl. With your free hand you can help pull the egg whites off your fingers. This method is much better than the old method of egg shell to egg shell. Besides being a much faster method, you will break far fewer yolks and get more egg white. Just remember to wash your hands of raw egg after you are finished so you don’t contaminate your work area with possible salmonella.
Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 cup sugar reserved from the recipe.
Beat the yolks and sugar together at first on slow speed. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl down to make sure everything gets incorporated.
Increase the speed to medium and beat the yolk/sugar until it becomes pale yellow.
With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half. Using the backside or dull part of the blade, scrape out the tiny vanilla seeds. Add all of the seeds and pod to the the milk, sugar, heavy cream, and salt mixture in a pot.
Heat the cream/sugar mixture with the vanilla beans over medium high heat.
Bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup at a time to the yolk mixture.
With the mixing machine or hand held mixer slowly add the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs.
Once the egg mixture has been tempered, add everything back to the pot with the vanilla beans.
Heat this mixture for several minutes-just below boiling- to cook the eggs into the batter.
After stirring the egg/milk mixture on medium to medium high heat for several minutes, strain the whole mixture through a fine strainer to remove the vanilla pods. Cool the ice cream batter completely for 3-4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Once the batter is cold, add it to an ice cream maker. Follow the instructions by the manufacturer. In most cases the ice cream will still be soft and creamy. To get a firmer consistency add the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 hours or overnight in the freezer.
Fresh French Vanilla Ice Cream is superb.
Add old fashioned homemade fudge…to learn how click HERE
Add homemade marshmallow sauce…to learn how click HERE
Add candied wet nuts…to learn how click HERE
Add Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and you have a French vanilla sunday that’s sure to make memories.
French Style Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 5 Egg yolks separated from whites
- 1 cup sugar separated in half
- 1 vanilla bean split and insides scraped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp maraschino cherries optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat combine the milk, cream, half of the sugar, vanilla bean scraped along with the bean, and salt and bring just to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and begin the egg yolk mixture.
- While the milk/cream mixture is heating, combine the 5 yolks and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on low speed or whisk, beat until mixture is pale and thick. While intermittently scraping down the side of the mixing bowl and stirring by hand with a rubber spatula, increase speed to medium and mix until all is incorporated. The mixture should be pale yellow.
- Bring the milk/cream mixture back to a boil and whisk about 1∕3 cup of the hot mixture into the yolk/sugar mixture. Add another 1∕3 cup of the mixture, then return the combined mixture back to the saucepan. (You have just tempered the eggs for the ice cream batter.)
Using a high temperature rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula or spoon. This mixture must NOT boil or the yolks will scramble – the process should only take a few minutes. Work the range top to accommodate what you want to do. Adjust the heat just to keep from boiling. - Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (discard the vanilla pod) and bring to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Once your ice cream batter is fully cooled, add the mixture to your ice cream maker. Follow the churning instructions given by the manufacturer.
- The ice cream should have a soft creamy consistency. Remove from the ice cream maker, add to an airtight container and freeze for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
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