Vanilla Ice Cream

In the mood for something cold?  Try making homemade ice cream for a frozen sweet treat, and this simple recipe will become an instant favorite!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Special Equipment:

Ice Cream Maker

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the milk and half-and-half.  Gradually whisk in the sugar and vanilla.  Refrigerate for a few hours, or even overnight.

Pour into a frozen ice cream machine bowl, and freeze following your machine’s instructions.

Once the ice cream is ready, transfer it to a plastic container, and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.

Makes 1 quart of ice cream.

Variations & Mix-ins:

For chocolate ice cream, follow the instructions above, except use 1 cup sugar, and add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the milk.

For cookies-and-cream ice cream, follow the instructions above for vanilla ice cream.  Once the ice cream is done freezing in the ice cream maker, add 3/4 cup crushed Oreos while the machine is still on.  Let the Oreos swirl into the ice cream for about 1 minute, then remove and freeze.