French style vanilla ice cream is a classic and one of those recipes you just need to have in your repertoire. With this recipe, you get a rich and creamy ice cream and be sure – it’s always a winner among both children and adults.

I have read that vanilla is the most popular flavor when it comes to ice cream. And I am not surprised!

Not only is the sweetness of the vanilla just heaven, but this ice cream also has a great ability to enhance other desserts and treats. Straight out of the box, I am thinking; pancakes, waffles, strawberries, banana split….ohhhh, and of course, my wife’s delicious Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka). I will admit, I am not the biggest fan of chocolate. But this cake – together with some homemade vanilla ice cream – I could eat every day!

This ice cream recipe is French-style, which means cooking a custard made with cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks – I use 9 in this recipe.

Yes, I know – it’s more work than Philadelphia-style ice cream. And with many other flavors, I could easily go for Philadelphia. But exactly when it comes to vanilla, I just love the rich, creamy and silkie texture you get from a cooked custard.

And you know what, once you have made a custard a couple of times, you will find out that it’s really not that hard to make.

Once you master the custard, you can make French-style ice cream with any flavor you want.

Prep:5

Cook:25

Total:30

Yield:1 quart

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
9 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Put the cream, half the milk, the salt and half the sugar into a saucepan. Set the temperature to medium.
Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and stir them into the mixture. Add the bean as well. Keep stirring and heat until steamy (not simmering and not boiling – only steamy). Remove from heat, cover and let the vanilla infuse.
Now prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl (or an empty sink) with ice and some cold water. Put a smaller bowl inside.
In another bowl, beat together the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar. Make sure you get a smooth and creamy mixture.
Temper the eggs by slowly adding half your heated mixture into your eggs. Make sure you constantly whisk to prevent scramble eggs. Now pour your egg mixture back into the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium heat until it thickens.
Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the small bowl in your ice bath. Add the rest of the milk and vanilla extract. Stir until cool.
Chill your mixture in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Before adding your custard to your ice cream maker, pour it through a sieve and remove the vanilla bean. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.