Simple and Delicious Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

One of the fun things about cooking from scratch with your kids is they get to taste firsthand how good food can be.  Fresh, simple ingredients, like vanilla, are so much more flavorful when you cook at home.  That's how it was with this ice cream.  I had some leftover cream in the fridge and my ice cream canister in the freezer just waiting to go to work.  But I didn't have time for the typical "cook first" recipe.  This was a 'put the ingredients in the bowl, turn it on for 20 minutes and freeze, kind of day'.  I knew ahead of time the texture would be a little granular, but oh my, the flavor was unbelievable!  So this is what vanilla should taste like!  My daughter said it was the best ice cream she ever had, (it's not-we've been to MOOmers, in Traverse City).  My sweet son said he thought it tasted better than Breyers!  Even with the lack of creaminess, it's funny how good something as simple as vanilla ice cream can be when it's homemade!  Now, if you're ever in the Traverse City area, and you want to try some really good ice cream, you have to go to MOOmers!!!  It's outstanding!  Even though coconut is my ultimate favorite, I couldn't be in the cherry capitol of the world and not get something cherry!  The Cherries Moobilee is awesome!

Our simple Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the cream and half-and-half in a large bowl. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and whisk well until blended.  Whisk in vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and whisk mixture to blend.  Pour into the chilled canister of an ice cream maker and mix according to manufacturer's directions (I left mine in for 20 minutes).  Place in covered container and freeze for several hours to harden.  Note:  I did not take the time to chill mixture first, but my ice cream canister had been in the freezer already.  I also used 2% milk for half of the heavy whipping cream.  8 servings