Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

As I have been writing, July is National Ice Cream Month and I have shared several tasty recipes you could make with the children you love for a tasty treat! Today I'm sharing another recipe - this time for the all-time favorite flavor - vanilla which makes up over a fifth of all ice cream purchases.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Freeze the Bowl: Ensure your KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker bowl is completely frozen. It generally requires at least 15–24 hours in the coldest part of your freezer. 
Mix the Base: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Chill (Optional but recommended): Place the base mixture in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours until thoroughly chilled. Colder bases churn much faster and yield creamier ice cream. 
Set up the Mixer: Assemble your KitchenAid stand mixer with the frozen bowl, drive assembly, and dasher (paddle). Turn the mixer to "Stir" speed (Speed 1). 
Churn: With the machine running on the lowest speed, slowly pour the cold ice cream base into the frozen bowl. 
Freeze: Let the mixture churn for 20–25 minutes. It will thicken into a soft-serve consistency. 
Harden: Eat immediately as soft serve or transfer the mixture to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2–4 hours (or overnight) to reach a firm, scoopable consistency.

Enjoy!

And, here are some fun facts about vanilla ice cream which you can share with the children you love - did you know . . . 

Invented after chocolate: Chocolate ice cream was actually invented long before vanilla. Vanilla was initially an incredibly rare and exotic commodity in the 1700s, making it a status symbol reserved for the wealthy. 

A Presidential recipe: Thomas Jefferson is credited as the first American to write down an ice cream recipe, and it was vanilla. You can read his original recipe, housed at the Library of Congress. 

Labor-intensive orchids: Vanilla comes from the pods of an orchid. Because these flowers only bloom for one day, they must be hand-pollinated, making real vanilla the second most expensive spice in the world (after saffron). 

Vanilla's sweet origin: The Pacay tree, native to South America, produces fruit pods which contain a white, fluffy pulp tasting exactly like vanilla ice cream. 

Label laws: In the US, the FDA requires strict labeling. Ice cream flavored with natural vanilla extract must be called "vanilla ice cream," while artificially flavored versions must be labeled "artificially flavored vanilla ice cream". 

Most "Instagrammable": Despite its seemingly plain look, vanilla remains the most Instagrammable ice cream flavor, boasting the highest number of dessert hashtags across the platform.

You will find more ice cream fun facts from Ben & Jerry's at this link.