This custard-based ice cream is all about patience and technique: a real vanilla bean steeped into warm milk and cream, egg yolks tempered slowly, and the whole mixture cooked low and slow until it's thick enough to coat a spoon. That gentle cooking is what gives the finished scoop its signature silky, dense texture instead of anything icy or thin. Straining the custard over a fresh dose of cream and chilling it thoroughly before churning locks in that rich, pale-gold color and deep vanilla flavor you want in a classic base. Once it's churned to soft-serve consistency and frozen firm, you get scoopable, old-fashioned ice cream with flecks of real vanilla throughout. It's a dependable, ingredient-driven treat that works well for a peanut free kitchen, no special swaps needed to enjoy every creamy bite.
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Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape out the seeds. Combine the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, half the sugar (6 tbsp), the vanilla bean pod, and the scraped seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture steams and small bubbles form around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tbsp sugar and the salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
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