The Easiest, Best Vanilla Ice Cream

Ray bought me an ice cream maker last year, because I can't eat a lot of dairy. So the idea was, we would develop some frozen desserts that didn't involve much dairy. But, he loves root beer floats.

So, I searched for an ice cream recipe that was delicious, and easy. I like my ice cream to taste rich, with lots of vanilla flavor. But I didn't like the recipes that required you to cook a custard, or worse, had raw eggs. After much experimentation and flavor testing, this is the best ice cream I have made. And, paired with the root beer we picked up at the Fitger's Brewery in Duluth, it is the best root beer float ever !

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Mix ingredients together with whisk. Do not use blender. Put in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's recommendations. Remove immediately to freezer container and freeze for at least an hour before serving.

We usually find the vanilla bean paste at Marshalls or TJ Maxx, not very expensive, and it gives the ice cream the specks of vanilla bean without all the cost of the whole bean. Now, use your imagination and add your favorite root beer, flavored liquor, syrup, or espresso. Yummy !