Of all the flavors of ice cream in the world, vanilla is still my favorite, especially when it is homemade, and with real vanilla beans. Recently I had the good fortune to have been gifted some beautiful beans by my dear friend Sandy who had vacationed in Tahiti. With all the recent hot weather I have found myself dreaming of cold things to savor, and ice cream seemed like the perfect thing to make.

You now have the best tasting ice cream you have had in years no question, except one, who gets to lick the beater?

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Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Nothing beats the creamy rich flavor of homemade ice cream. Vanilla beans make this treat extra special.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 2½ cups half-and-half
• 8 egg yolks, jumbo eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2½ cups heavy cream
• 3 Vanilla Beans or 4 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• If you are using vanilla beans, begin by splitting the beans in half lengthwise and scraping the seeds out with a knife. In a sauce pan over medium heat, steep the vanilla seeds and pods in the half-and-half until very hot but not boiling, stirring often. Remove from heat and strain to remove large pieces of vanilla pod.
• Place egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together until well blended and slightly thick.
• Very gradually add the half-and-half to the eggs a small amount at a time. It is crucial to add the hot liquid very slowly while continuously mixing to “temper” the eggs and avoid ending up with scrambled eggs.
• Once all the liquid has been incorporated into the eggs, return the mixture the sauce pan and heat over medium heat stirring constantly until small bubbles form around the edge and custard becomes thickened. Do not boil. Test consistency by dipping a spoon in the custard, it should cling to the back of the spoon.
• Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla (if you are using extract instead of beans), and salt. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before freezing.
• I used the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid, but of course you can use any type of freezer. If you are lucky you might have one of the old-time freezers. Many people believe these still work the best.
• It takes about 20 minutes on low-speed in the freezer attachment to turn the custard into ice cream.  The ice cream expands as it freezes.
• The ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve when done. Transfer into a storage container and place it in the freezer for a few hours to allow it to completely freeze.

Notes

French Vanilla is a style of making ice cream with a custard base, vanilla pods, cream and egg yolks; it has a strong vanilla aroma and contains vanilla grains. Tahitian vanilla ice cream is actually French vanilla made with Tahitian beans. Vanilla extract can also be used if you do not have beans.