About this recipe

A rich, creamy, custard-based vanilla ice cream made the classic way — with egg yolks, heavy cream, and real vanilla. This French-style recipe produces a silky, scoopable ice cream that's miles ahead of anything from a carton. It's approachable for home cooks and endlessly customizable once you've mastered the base.

Instructions

1. 1

   In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, and half the granulated sugar (6 tablespoons). If using a vanilla bean split and scraped, add the scraped seeds and pod now. Heat ^[over medium heat], stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges — do not boil. Remove from heat.

2. 2

   In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.