Basic Ice Cream Base/Vanilla Ice Cream

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Doughmesstic

3 1/2 cups dairy (milk, cream, mixture of both)
3/4 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla

Over medium to low heat, heat dairy to hot but not boiling. In the meantime, beat sugar and egg yolks together. Remove dairy from heat and add vanilla. Temper eggs by adding a spoon full of the hot milk into the eggs, beating constantly. Once incorporated, mix the egg mixture into the heated dairy.

Transfer to a clean mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Ice cream maker: After 2 hours, follow directions for your ice cream maker.

By hand: Place in freezer. Every hour as it freezes and until it freezes, take the mixture out of the freezer and, using a handheld mixer, mix the ice cream. This breaks up ice crystals, resulting in a creamier ice cream.

Notes:
1. You can add mix-ins and other flavors after the ice cream is off the stove and mixed together.

2. To make chocolate ice cream, add chocolate chips to dairy mixture while it's on the stove. Allow chocolate to melt and mix it in.

3. For my dairy, I used 2 cups heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups raw milk. Since the milk is heated, I may forego the raw milk next time as the heat takes away some of the nutritional value anyway. If your store carries it, there is an Organic Valley product - Half and Half from pasture-raised cows - that I would like to try.