Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream

Yum!
2 cups cream
2 cups whole milk
14 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
splash of vanilla
10 egg yolks
5 tablespoons bourbon

Mix cream, milk, half of sugar, vanilla and bean (split and seeds and all) in sauce pan and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Mix yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl. Reheat cream sauce. Add 1 1/2 cups of cream sauce slowly to yolk and sugar mixture to temper it. Pour this egg mixture slowly back into cream mixture and heat on low-medium heat to 170 degrees or until a wooden spoon comes up with a thicker custard on its back and a finger drawn through the custard leaves a clean line. Pour through a strainer into a metal bowl which has been sitting over ice bath and stir occasionally until cooled. Add bourbon and mix. Place vanilla bean back into the custard and cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove vanilla bean and pour into frozen ice cream machine and process according to machine instructions (about 20-30 minutes). Eat or freeze to harden.

Serving suggestions: With Pecan Pie. Or in a Profiterole. Or straight up!

Have a glass of A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 year Bourbon with it, the perfect after dinner Bourbon (regardless of what the New York Times may say).

Click here for a New York Times article on Bourbon