Laie Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Warm dairy and infuse

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream. If using a split vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk and add the pod. Warm over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil), about 5–7 minutes.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the dairy warms, place 4 large egg yolks and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper the eggs

Remove about 1/2 cup of the hot milk-cream mixture and slowly stream it into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Continue adding warmed dairy in two more additions until roughly half of the hot liquid has been incorporated and the yolks are warmed.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk-cream. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches about 175°F (80°C), about 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Strain and finish

Remove the pan from heat. If you used a vanilla bean pod, discard the pod. Stir in 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (and 1 teaspoon dark rum or vanilla liqueur, if using) and a pinch of fine sea salt. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits.

Cool and chill

Place the bowl in an ice bath (or let cool at room temperature briefly), stirring occasionally to speed cooling, until it reaches room temperature, about 15–20 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (pressing the wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin) and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Churn

Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20–30 minutes, until it has the texture of soft-serve.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container, press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours for scoopable texture (longer for harder texture).

For extra vanilla intensity, fold in the scraped seeds from an additional 1/2 vanilla bean or swirl in a teaspoon of vanilla liqueur just before transferring the churned ice cream to the container. If you didn’t add rum earlier, you can stir 1 teaspoon into the churned base to soften freezing and enhance flavor.