Good Morning, Darlings!

What could be more fun to eat than ice cream? Nothing, that’s what! If you read me regularly, you know that ice cream has been a recurring theme of late. It’s getting hot here and naturally ice cream is a fun choice for guests.

But I had never made my own ice cream.  I had some homemade strawberry ice cream at Debbie Hood’s granny’s house after floating down Rainbow Springs when I was a kid and it changed my life. I never forgot how it tasted.

So why has it taken me so long to make my own?  Chalk it up to a busy lifestyle or just plain laziness, plus I don’t eat a lot of ice cream as an adult. Until now.

Say hello to my little friend:

Before buying this model I did a ton of research (you want to make your dollars count) and the Cuisinart is loved by so many, it seemed the reasonable choice. So off I went to my local Bed, Bath & Beyond – Edgewood Shopping Center if you are in Atlanta, and picked one out. I’ve perused the website and do not see this model there, so that may be why I got this at 40 percent off!  It was originally priced at $49.95, but after the discount, plus my $5 off coupon, it was only $25.00! Go, hurry, and see if you can get the same deal. Apparently you have to look for the yellow tag. GO! I’ll be right here.

Ok, so you’re back from BB&B with your sleek new machine? Lets make ice cream!

Eric’s number one favorite is vanilla bean, so guess what our maiden voyage of ice cream was? Yes! Vanilla bean. I had a jar of vanilla beans in the spice drawer, but they were really crispy. Eric suggested covering them with boiling water to soften them up. Did it work? Yes indeedy. Let the beans sit in boiling water for 1.5 hours and you should be fine.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Adapted from Epicurious.com

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup whole milk
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
* 2 large eggs

Combine cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with tip of a knife into cream mixture, then drop in pods. Heat cream mixture just to a boil.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer (do not let boil). Note: This took about 30 minutes

Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.Note: Cover the custard with plastic wrap, touching the custard, so it will not form a skin

Freeze custard in an ice cream maker, first by pouring in a slow stream into the machine, then letting it churn for 25 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer.

Makes 5 one cup servings or 10 half-cup servings. But honestly, who is going to eat just a 1/2 cup?

Photos of the process:

When I asked Eric how it was (I’m off sweets for a bit), he said it was delicious but said there were tiny bits of crystals inside. He didn’t know what they were and wasn’t quite sure if he loved them or not. Not sure if they were vanilla bean seeds, sugar or God forbid – cooked pieces of egg (make sure you strain the custard thoroughly before chilling), but he ate every drop.

Next ice cream recipe to tackle – my favorite, strawberry.

This would make a fun project to do with your kids, or your bestie or your sweetie. Heck, it’s just fun.

Tell me, what’s your favorite flavor?

xoxo, Patti