Best vanilla ice cream ever!

Best Vanilla Ice Cream Ever! (and other flavor options)

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to Smitten Kitchen, and the New York Times

Ingredients (to make 1 quart):

• 2 cups cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Heat:

• 1 cup cream to a simmer.  Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream with a paring knife, then add bean pod to the cream.  Cover, removed from heat, and infuse for one hour.  After one hour, stir in remaining cup of cream.

Warm:

• milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan, then transfer to a Pyrex measuring cup.  Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl.  Slowly pour in warm milk/sugar/salt mixture, whisking constantly.  Then pour entire mixture back into saucepan.  Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom, until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and retain a line when drawn across the back with your finger, 3-5 minutes.  Pour the custard through a strainer.

Combine:

• cream and custard, stirring in vanilla extract.  Chill in fridge overnight and then put into ice cream machine, as directed. 

Other flavor options:

• Coffee:  instead of vanilla bean, add 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee to simmered cream.  Let infuse for 1/2 hour, then add remaining cup of cream and proceed as above.  
• Mint or basil:  pulse 1 cup dry, fresh basil or mint in food processor with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pulverized and green.  Use this sugar instead of plain sugar.  Let custard steep off heat for 30 minutes before straining.  Proceed as above.
• Cinnamon:  pulse 4" long cinnamon stick  in food processor (preferably Ceylon or canela) with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until finely ground.  Use this sugar instead of plain sugar.  Let custard steep off heat for 30 minutes before straining.  Proceed as above. 
• Lemon or lime:  pulse zest of 3 lemons or limes in food processor with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth and brightly colored.  Use this sugar instead of plain sugar.  Let custard steep off heat for 30 minutes before straining.  Proceed as above.
• Strawberry or raspberry:  Make recipe without milk.  Puree 1 lb berries, 3 tbs sugar, 1/2 tsp lemon juice and pinch of salt.  Taste and add more lemon or or sugar if necessary.  Puree should be on sweet side with a bit of tartness.  Mix into base and chill.  If using raspberries, strain before churning.
• Peach or apricot:  Make recipe without milk.  In saucepan over medium heat, simmer 3 lbs pitted and diced (no need to skin) fruit with 1/2 cup sugar until tender, about 10 minutes.  Puree, and stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk and puree into warm, strained base.  Add a few drops of almond extract if desired.  Chill.
• Cherry:  Make recipe without milk.  In saucepan over medium heat, simmer 6 cups pitted cherries (2 lbs) with 1/3 cup sugar until very soft (about 10 minutes).   Puree, and stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk and puree into warm, strained base.  Chill. 
• Banana:  Make recipe without milk.  Puree 4 very ripe bananas, 2 tbs sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, pinch of salt.  Stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk and puree into warm, strained base.  Add a few drops of vanilla extract if desired.  Chill.
• Nutella: Make base with 2 cups milk, 1 cup cream, and 1/4 cup sugar.  Add 1 cup Nutella, and 1 tsp vanilla extract into warm, strained base.  Chill.
• Salted caramel:  In medium pot over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 3 tbs water, swirling pan frequently until mixture becomes mahogany brown in color.  Remove from heat and add 2 cups of cream (carefully, as may hiss and pop a bit), stirring constantly.  Return to low heat until combined.  Remove from heat and strain into container.  Warm milk and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until simmering.   Continue with basic recipe, with egg yolks in bowl, etc. (above).   Strain this egg/milk/sugar mixture to container with caramel/cream.   Sprinkle 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt in last 2 minutes of churning. 
• Almond:  in medium pot over medium heat, cook 1/2 cup sliced almonds with 2 tbs sugar and pinch of salt until deeply golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to plate and reserve.  In same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deeply brown, about 5 minutes.  Proceed with rest of recipe in same pot, using 1 1/2 cups each cream and milk.  Let custard steep for 1 hour off heat before straining (pressing down hard on solids).  Add 1/4 tsp almond extract to custard before chilling.  Break reserved nuts into pieces and add in last 2 minutes of churning.  
• Pistachio:  Make the base using 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream.  Whisk 1 cup unsweetened pistachio paste and 1/4 almond extract into warm, strained base.  Chill.
• Peanut butter:  Make the base using 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream.  Whisk 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla into warm, strained base.  Chill.
• Coconut:  In medium saucepan, toast 1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut until deeply golden, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate and reserve.  In the same pot, toast 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut until deeply golden, about 5 minutes.  Proceed with recipe, using 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk, 1 cup coconut milk.  Let custard steep for 1 hour off heat before straining (pressing down on solids).  Add reserved coconut to base during last 2 minutes of churning.