Recipe Day: Vanilla Ice Cream

Okay, how about a recipe to brighten up a dreary Monday…
This was the first ice cream I made with the ice cream bowl attachment of my
mixer. I was actually surprised by how well and quickly it worked. I started
with a recipe from Alton Brown and made some slight modifications.

Vanilla Ice Cream
2 C half and half
1 C heavy cream
2 C minus 2 T vanilla sugar
dash of sea salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

In saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to simmer over medium heat. When
first bubble breaks the surface, remove from heat. Remove bean hull, and, if
desired, rinse and reserve for another use. Put mixture into container with
lid and store in the refrigerator overnight. Process batter according to
your machine directions. Volume will increase by 1/2 to 3/4. Return mixture
to lidded container and put in freezer to cure for at least an hour.

Notes: You can make vanilla sugar by storing a vanilla bean in a container
of granulated sugar, but plain granulated sugar could be used instead. I
used a Madagascar vanilla bean from the Arizona Vanilla Company. This ice
cream reminded me, in a good way, of the marshmallows in Lucky Charms.
Remember that the batter will taste sweeter than the finished product since
freezing inhibits sweetness. Some or all of the cream and half and half can
be replaced with milk, but the end result will have a texture that is less
dense and creamy.