vanilla bean ice cream

i made my first batch of ice cream yesterday. now, i grew up on homemade ice cream, but was just not the one to make it. it was my dad's job to be the ice cream boss. yesterday was a celebration day in the house, so i borrowed my brother's freezer(i don't own one) and whipped up some vanilla bean ice cream. i know, i know, boring right? nope, it was anything but, it was delicious and way better than the banana or pineapple that my folks always made. i had bought some great vanilla beans from beanilla last week and was wanting to use another one. i am hooked on beans. i also wanted a recipe that didn't involve raw or tempered eggs. i just didn't want to be bothered. roger's freezer is a rival, so i visited their website and found this recipe for a six quart machine. it seemed simple enough and although it didn't call for a bean, i added one. once i scalded the milk i threw in a split bean, turned the heat off and let it sit for about thirty minutes to infuse. i followed the rest of the recipe as written. it turned out pretty dang tasty. everyone seemed to enjoy it and i definitely think it tastes better after it sits in the freezer for awhile. i am thinking next batch, custard style, because i do believe the eggs make for a smoother and richer ice cream, but this one wasn't too shabby. i would make again, so go dust off the ole ice cream churn and flex those biceps, it's cranking time. enjoy.

p.s. who am i fooling, the freezer i used was electric.

p.p.s. i served this with homemade peach cobbler, no pic, none left, but i will share the recipe. it is so easy and crazy good. you can't go wrong with this recipe. you can sub any fruit.

beth's peach cobbler adapted from virginia hospitality cookbook

1 bag of frozen peaches or 3 cups fresh
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
6 tbsp melted butter

8x8 or 9x9 pan
375 degrees fahrenheit


defrost peaches in a bowl with lemon juice and vanilla. i let them sit at room temp for several hours to get juicy. i would do the same if fresh. you can defrost right in your baking dish. in a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt and egg. i use my hand to mix this because it it gets clumpy with dry spots. i literally squeeze it through my fingers till moist and then sprinkle all over the peach combo. it will be lumpy, it is suppose to be. pour the melted butter on top. bake for 40 minutes. keep an eye on it, it will brown up quickly. enjoy.