How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream

Tip 1: Twisting the vanilla bean helps it release its flavorful oils. If you slit the vanilla bean and stir the seeds into the ice cream base, you'll get the speckles in your mixture.

Tip 2: Add hot milk slowly to the egg yolks to keep the yolks from curdling and ensure a smooth and creamy texture.

Tip 3: Never allow custard to simmer or boil. Instead, stir constantly until the surface bubbles dissipate and the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Tip 4: For silky vanilla ice cream, remove any small bits of cooked egg and the vanilla bean by straining the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.

Tip 5: After straining, it's important to taste the custard. The flavor should be rich with egg yolks and cream, yet full of vanilla from both the vanilla bean and the vanilla extract.

Tip 6: Salt combined with ice lowers the temperature in the freezer. Having the right ratio of salt to ice is important to maintaining the right temp for a smooth, creamy result, so follow the manufacturer's directions.

Tip 7: Hand-churning is best and incorporates less air into the ice cream for denser texture and richer flavor. Aim for one even turn every two seconds.

Tip 8: Fresh-churned ice cream is generally a soft-serve consistency. For more scoopable ice cream, transfer it to a shallow glass dish, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until the ice cream is firmly set, about 4 hours.

Now that you've got the perfect vanilla ice cream recipe, invite friends over for a taste! Get our free pattern, below, to make this adorable ice cream social invitation.