Double Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream Food

VANILLA BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• If you have an ice cream maker requiring a frozen bowl, make sure to put it in the freezer at least 24 hours before you plan to churn the ice cream.
• To make the ice cream base, warm 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream with the sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until hot, but not quite boiling. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and add the bean. Cover, remove from heat and let the vanilla steep into the milk mixture for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream into a bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the bowl. You will be straining the ice cream base into this bowl - the strainer helps to make the ice cream silky smooth and the cold milk and cream help stop the cooking process and avoid overcooking the custard.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Return the steeped vanilla mixture to the heat briefly. Once it has returned to hot, but not quite boiling. Transfer a small amount of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly as you add the milk to temper the eggs. This will help prevent them from scrambling.
• Add a little more of the hot milk mixture, stir again. Continue adding liquid to the eggs while stirring until you have added about a cup of liquid total. Then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
• Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. This usually takes a few minutes, but it depends a bit on the saucepan and stove.
• Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl with the milk and cream. If you are in a hurry, you can immediately chill the ice cream in an ice bath. Otherwise, refrigerate for at least 8 hours (I usually chill it overnight).
• When ready to churn, add the vanilla extract and bourbon. Stir well. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keep the ice cream in the freezer for a few hours before serving to allow the ice cream to firm up.

BACON BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Render the bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until crispy. Transfer the grease to the refrigerator, chilling until the fat solidifies. Leave half the bacon the pot, and reserve the other half.
• Add the bourbon to the pot with the bacon and simmer until reduced by two-thirds. Stir in the cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, the vanilla and a pinch of salt and remove from the heat. Cover with plastic and cool for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the reserved bacon with 1/4 cup sugar and the brown sugar. Spread the sugared bacon on a baking sheet and bake until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Set aside to cool.
• Whip the eggs until the volume has doubled in a stand mixer set on high speed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooled and rendered fat. Beat on high for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and slowly incorporate the cooled bourbon and milk mixture, mixing just to combine.
• Pour into an ice-cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Scoop and garnish with the bacon sweets. Ah yum. Then sit down with a spoon and EAT IT. Do not share.

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH BOURBON BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the butter, sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream to a medium-size saucepan and cook while stirring over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Once the butterscotch appears syrupy and thick, remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully stir in the bourbon. (It will sputter and boil when you do this.) Stir in a big pinch of salt and let cool slightly before serving.
• Serve the butterscotch over good vanilla ice cream.

BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. , In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and temperature reaches 180°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Immediately transfer to a bowl. , Place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in bourbon and vanilla. Press waxed paper onto surface of mixture. Refrigerate several hours or overnight., Fill cylinder of ice cream maker two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. (Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Transfer ice cream to a freezer container; freeze until firm, 4-6 hours. Repeat with remaining mixture.

ULTIMATE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put the canister from the machine into the freezer a day before you want to make the ice cream. Next day, pour the cream and milk into a medium heavy-based pan, then tip in half the sugar. Slit the vanilla pod down its length with a small sharp knife and scoop out as many of the tiny black seeds as you can into the cream mixture. Cut the pod into three and drop it into the pan.
• Heat the cream and milk over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils - you'll see a few bubbles at the edge. Take off the heat and set aside for 30 minutes so the vanilla can infuse.
• Put the egg yolks into a bowl with the rest of the sugar and beat with an electric hand beater for about 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened, is paler in colour and falls in thick ribbons when you lift the beaters. Using a measuring jug, scoop out about 125ml/4fl oz of the cream mixture and beat into the egg yolks to slacken them. Reheat the cream until it just comes to the boil, take off the heat and stir in the egg yolk mixture.
• Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Watch that it doesn't boil - as soon as you see any bubbles about to burst to the surface, it should be thick enough, so take the pan off the heat so the mixture doesn't curdle.
• Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl, then sit it in a bigger bowl one third full of iced water to cool (this takes about 20 minutes). Stir occasionally to stop a skin forming. Put the bowl of custard in the fridge for 3-4 hours, preferably overnight, so it gets really cold.
• Get the ice cream machine running, scoop out the vanilla pod pieces, then slowly pour in the cold custard. Leave it to churn for 10-30 minutes (depending on your machine). When it stops, it is probably too soft to eat, so spoon into a plastic container, cover with cling film, then a lid, and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours. (It will keep in the freezer for 3 months but don't take it out, then refreeze.) Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.
• To make it by hand: in step 1, heat the milk, vanilla, and half the sugar without the cream (the custard will be slightly thicker). At the start of step 6, whip the cream so it's light and floppy, not too stiff, and fold it into the cold custard. Freeze for 3-4 hours, stirring once an hour until almost frozen, then freeze as above.

BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until milk powder dissolves completely. Remove from heat.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, brown sugar, and coarse salt in large bowl; whisk until thick and blended. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens enough to leave path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across and temperature registers 175°F to 178°F, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in bourbon and vanilla extract. Refrigerate custard uncovered until cold, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Custard can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.