Vanilla Bean Ice cream

Vanilla Bean Icecream

Ice cream is something one should enjoy making at home. The different combinations, the fun of adding your favourite flavours and the excitement of eating a freshly churned batch of creamy goodness are indescribable. 

This is a basic vanilla ice cream, and yet adding a vanilla bean, some vanilla bean paste, and a touch of premium vanilla makes it a cut above the rest. 

Serve it with a brandy snap, with fresh fruit, or simply on its own. It is divine.

Serves 10 



3 egg yolks, beaten in a bowl until smooth
1 1/2 cups full milk
pinch of salt
1 long vanilla bean pod, slit open

2 cans condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups full cream, chilled
For additional vanilla bean flavour, add
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste


In a pan, scald the milk, salt, and vanilla bean with the beaten egg yolks that have been sieved into it.  Keep the flame low to medium and stirring with a wooden spoon, especially scraping the sides of the pan. The mixture must not boil, but it will feel heavier as it nears the boiling point. 
Remove from the heat and add the condensed milk. Mix well and add the evaporated milk and then, finally, the cream, which is chilled. Mix well and taste for sweetness and vanilla flavouring. Remove the vanilla pod from the mixture and scrape the insides of the pod for the creamy paste. Add all of it to the ice cream mixture. 
For a full-bodied flavour, add the best vanilla essence you can find. If you have access to vanilla bean paste, add that too. 

Now chill and churn the ice cream. Before churning, taste the liquid to check for the flavours.

Tips
Using a sieve to add the eggs is very important to getting the smoothness in the ice cream. 

If you want to buy only one kind of vanilla, it is best to buy the pod. It is generally sold as a pair. If you need the second one, soak it in the mixture for ten minutes to soften and slit and remove the bean paste. Add to your taste. 
This ice cream is rich, creamy  and pungent with vanilla bean. 
If you do not have vanilla that is of superior quality, it is better not to add any liquid. Flavourings will spoil it. 
There are 3 types of vanilla: Tahitian, Madagascar, and Mexican Each one is distinct in its aroma and flavour. The one generally available is Madagascar. A personal preference is best for use in your desserts.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.