Recipe Review - French Vanilla Ice Cream

I love my ice cream maker. The more I use it, the more I love it. Most of the ice creams I've made have been egg free, therefore no cooking necessary, but this time, I had to just go for it and try a custard based ice cream. This was Vanilla after all. It had to be rich, and well, custardy. I found several recipes and sort of merged them into one, and it worked. It really worked. It was amazing. The richness, texture, and flavor are like nothing you can get from the eggless ice creams. That's my opinion, but that doesn't mean I'm going to create a custard for every ice cream I make, either. It definitely isn't as simple as just tossing the stuff in the ice cream maker, but when the mood strikes, it is worth every extra minute it takes! Delicious!

French Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients - 1 c whole milk, 1 c half and half, 3/4 c sugar, 8 egg yolks, 2 c whipping cream, 2 Tbsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt

In a mixer bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar on med-low until blended and slightly thickened. While still whisking, gradually add in half and half and whole milk. Transfer this mixture to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until steamy and just starting to bubble, stirring constantly. Do not boil.Transfer this mixture to a bowl and stir in the whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Cover the mixture and chill overnight.
Prepare the ice cream base in you ice cream maker based on manufacturer directions. Either serve immediately when it is done, or transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container to ripen for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Oh, and here's a bonus for you! That chocolate hunk of delicious on the plate with the ice cream in the picture above? The best chocolate cake ever! It's a Texas Sheet Cake. It is not a new recipe. It's one that's been around a long, long time. It is hardly ever altered or mucked with because it is perfect as is. While we don't put pecans in ours, the recipe we use is otherwise identical to that of The Pioneer Woman, so be sure and pop over there if you're in the mood for the best, yet super simple, chocolate cake you can make!