There is nothing — we repeat nothing — better than ice cream in the middle of summer. It’s cold. It’s delicious. You’ll burn off the calories through some sort of hot-weather-inspired outdoor activity. It’s a win-win-win, folks. And, on top of that, your kids love it. Sure, you don’t want to give them too many sweets, but what if it means you’re getting sweets, too? That’s what we thought. [photo via allrecipes.com]
And if we didn’t already give you enough excuses to pop open that freezer of yours or hail down the ice cream truck, today is Vanilla Ice Cream Day, so it’s basically against the law to not eat it. Basically. Now, because today is a day that’s specifically devoted to vanilla ice cream, we think you should make your own. Whip out that ice cream maker of yours and save some money. And, anyway, everyone knows that homemade ice cream is ten times better than store-bought.
Today, less is more. Don’t worry about the fancy flavors and endless mix-ins. We’re nuts about this classic vanilla recipe from AllRecipes.com, and you will be, too. It has honey and brown sugar in it, so there’s no way it’s going to be a let down. Try it for yourself! Come on — have we ever let you down?
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1 (7-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
Directions
- In a medium pan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a simmer. Do not boil. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, honey, and salt until light-colored and frothy. While whisking constantly, slowly combine the hot milk with the egg mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius) when tested with a candy thermometer, or becomes thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat.
- Remove the vanilla bean from the mixture and reserve. Strain custard into a large bowl. Scrape seeds from the vanilla bean into the custard. (Vanilla bean pod may be used again.) Stir the heavy cream into the custard. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- When cold, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
