How to Make Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt1

Method 1 of 2: Using an Ice Cream Maker

1. 
   In a medium saucepan, heat up the milk, sugar and salt. On a chopping board, use a paring knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean carefully. Add these seeds to the milk, with the scraped bean pod. Take the saucepan off the heat, cover with a lid, and allow infusing for at least an hour.
   • You can tell if a vanilla bean is good quality by smelling it. You should be able to smell the vanilla. Don't be fooled by the plumpness of the bean -- a plump bean doesn't automatically equal more flavor, it may just have a high water content.
   • If the bean smells smoky, this means the bean was not left to dry out properly, rather it was quickly flash dried over a fire. If this is the case, the vanilla beans are probably not of a high quality.
2. 
   Chill the cream. Next, you will need to chill the heavy cream in an ice bath. You can make an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with icy water. Place a smaller bowl into the water, into which you will strain the cream. Let the heavy cream sit in the ice bowl until cooled.
3. 
   Make the custard. In a large, clean bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined. Take the vanilla-infused milk mixture and warm it up again. Once it is warm, gradually stir it into the bowl with the egg yolks, adding a little at a time and whisking constantly to combine. Once all the milk has been combined with the yolks, pour this mixture back into the saucepan.
   • Place the saucepan on a low heat and stir the custard constantly. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a spoon or spatula to prevent any of the mixture from sticking. When the custard forms a light coat on the back of the spoon or spatula, it is ready.
   • Depending on how rich you want your custard to be, you can add up to three more egg yolks.
4. 
   Combine the custard with the heavy cream. Pour the custard mixture through the strainer, into the heavy cream in the ice bath. Remove the strainer and stir to combine. When the mixture has cooled fully, add in the vanilla extract, cover the bowl, and place in the refrigerator. Leave for several hours or overnight, if possible.
   • There are three main types of vanilla extract: Bourbon, Tahitian and Mexican. Each has a slightly different flavor. Bourbon vanilla is from Madagascar and has a strong, bold flavor; Tahitian vanilla is floral, while real Mexican vanilla is creamy-tasting, with a pronounced flavor.
   • Always use a vanilla essence with an alcohol base. The alcohol, even if burned off during cooking, enhances the flavor of the vanilla extract.
   • For a lighter custard, you can replace the heavy cream with half-and-half. Just be aware that your ice cream will turn out less smooth as a result.
5. 
   Remove the ice cream custard from the refrigerator. Remove the vanilla bean and spoon the mixture into your ice cream maker. From this point, you can follow the manufacturer's instructions to find out how to freeze the ice cream mixture in your particular machine.
6. 
   Serve or store. Serve your homemade vanilla ice cream straight from the ice cream maker or store in an airtight container in the freezer to create a firmer ice cream.
   • Vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to homemade fruit pies and warm chocolate cakes.
   • It also makes a delicious dessert served on its own, covered in chocolate or caramel sauce and toasted pecans or almonds.
   
   
   refrensi :http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Homemade-Vanilla-Ice-Cream