Vanilla Bean Ice cream may be plain and boring to some. But there is a reason it is the most popular flavor. Vanilla can be fantastic all on its own with the best ingredients. I do adore all kinds of ice cream flavors. I like mint, butter pecan, rocky road, cherry, and countless other flavors. But there is something very satisfying about a good scoop of plain old vanilla, especially if it is good vanilla ice cream.
My dear friends just returned from a fantastic cruise around the south pacific islands. (I’m very jealous!) And even though I wasn’t lucky to be able to go with them, they did bring me back something very precious. When they returned, they came over and told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands. Then, into them, they placed a small parcel containing several of the most fragrant plump vanilla beans I have ever seen! I could smell them even before I opened my eyes. Even though they were sealed in plastic, they were that fragrant. Vanilla beans from Tahiti are considered the best in the world. I can see why; the fragrance alone was intoxicating.
The first thing that came to mind was to make vanilla ice cream. I have made several ice creams, including this fantastic butter popcorn ice cream. But I think to showcase the vanilla, the best way is to make ice cream. That will showcase how this little bean from an orchid can flavor something so delicious that it doesn’t need any adornment. The key is to let the bean steep in the custard for as long as possible. From the start of the cooking process to the “curing” in the fridge for hours, the longer the bean steeps, the more vanilla flavor comes to the party. The fragrant bean will give some incredible depth to the ice cream. I don’t scrape the seeds from the pod until after it has been strained to keep them in the finished ice cream. The finished vanilla bean ice cream is luxurious and decadent, full of fragrant vanilla, and it really doesn’t need to have anything else. It is perfect all on its own.
Nowadays, vanilla beans are very expensive, so you can substitute vanilla bean paste to save some money. But using a vanilla bean is what makes this ice cream so special. You can find them on Amazon. If you buy more than one, they don’t last forever and should be used within a month or two. Cook something with them, make more ice cream, or use them to make homemade vanilla. The glucose syrup helps in keeping a good texture and comes in a small bucket that lasts forever. I have recently bought an ice cream maker with a compressor, and even though it costs a bit more than the freezer bowl type, I have found it incredibly useful. I can make ice cream quickly and even in multiple batches, which you could not do with my old machine. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. So, if you use any link on this page, it will help fund my food journey.) Ice cream can be fun to make any time of the year as long as you have everything prepared.
Sometimes vanilla ice cream is just all you want, and I think this is the best way to use a precious vanilla bean from an orchid grown in the South Pacific. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through this crazy world together. Until next time!
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup glucose syrup
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
-
If you have an ice cream maker that requires the bowl to be frozen, make sure to put it into the freezer 24 hours before you want to make ice cream.
-
Figure out what container you want to cure the ice cream in and place that in the freezer to get very cold.
-
In a small heat-proof bowl or measuring cup, beat the egg yolks and set near the stove.
-
Have a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl ready and a larger bowl that the medium bowl fits into with ice and water ready for an ice bath.
-
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, glucose, and the sugar. The syrup doesn’t have to be completely blended in. It will smooth out as the mixture heats.
-
Carefully split the vanilla bean, but don’t scrape the tiny seeds out just yet.
-
Add the vanilla bean to the milk mixture.
-
Bring the mixture to a boil, constantly stirring to not scorch the bottom.
-
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
-
Slowly add about ½ cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, beating as you go to temper the egg yolks. (This prevents them from overcooking.)
-
Quickly beat the tempered egg yolks into the remaining hot milk mixture, constantly stirring. Using a small whisk here will make it combine quickly.
-
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, constantly stirring, until the custard has reached 180° and coats the back of a spoon. This will happen very quickly, so don’t walk away.
-
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the medium bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg.
-
Place the bowl into the bigger bowl with the ice and water to stop the cooking process.
-
Take the vanilla bean that was also strained out and carefully scrape the tiny seeds using the side of a knife.
-
Place the scraped bean along with the tiny seeds into the strained custard. Or this is where to add the paste if you are not using a bean.
-
Occasionally whisk or stir the mixture as it cools to break up the seeds.
-
When the mixture is at room temperature, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
-
Let the custard chill in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to cure or preferably overnight (the longer it chills, the more time the vanilla bean has to seep in the custard.
-
When you are ready to make the Ice cream
-
Remove the vanilla bean from the custard.
-
Make the ice cream according to your machine’s directions.
-
When the machine is done, transfer the ice cream to a storage container and let it firm up in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Or you can serve soft serve ice cream directly from the machine’s bowl.
