VANILLA ICE-CREAM

I have to be honest -- there really is no point making ice-cream without an electric ice-cream churner... unless you like your ice-cream to be full of nasty ice crystals and unscoopably hard (have i just invented a word? :-)

Not only is this a deliciously smooth Vanilla ice cream it is also what we chefs call a 'base'. That means you can add any number of different flavor combinations to it (a spoonfull of pistachio paste, a handful of chocolate chips, an over-ripe banana) and as long as your base is strong enough to support them you can't go far wrong.

What you need:

1.5 litres milk
1 litre double cream
4 vanilla pods - split and scraped
480g vanilla sugar
8 coffee beans
100g milk powder
10g stab (or similar powder stabilizer)
24 yolks

Method:
Bring everything apart from the eggs and sugar to a simmer. While you're waiting for that whisk your yolks and sugar together, just to combine.

Add a couple of ladels of hot liquid to the yolk mix (just to 'loosen' it a little) then add the whole lot to the pan of hot liquid, turn the heat right down low and stir constantly until the mixture thickens to the consistency of cream. Immediately strain the liquid into a bowl or container placed inside of a slightly larger container filled with ice, and when it's cool enough get it into the fridge.

Thats about it for the manual labour, your ice-cream base is ready, now its your churner's turn to do the work.