Real Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

I have learned two things during the making of this post.  

One is that ice cream melts twice as fast when you are trying to photograph it, and B, my new Nikon D90 is going to be a lot harder to learn how to use than I had originally thought. 

Shutter speeds, ISO, F-stops, numbers, graphs, buttons, wide lens, zoom lens, millimeter talk, depth of something, yada, yada, yada...  

My head is swimming.  There is just.  So much.  To learn.

I'll keep studying, though, and taking pictures.  One day I'll get one in focus.  One day.

Anyway, I don't think I ever reported back about what I bought with the cooking.com gift certificate I won way back in September of last year in this contest, the contest where I asked my friends, family and strangers to vote for my recipe. 

By the way, thanks.  Thanks for voting for my recipe.  If you did.  

And if you didn't?  Thanks for being you.  *Hugs*

This is what I bought:

 

I love.

Specifically because:

-No more spending extra money to buy bagged ice to layer with rock salt.  That really increases the cost of your homemade ice cream when you have to buy three bags per batch like I did.

-That said, no more messy layering of ice with rock salt.  FYI, did you know that when your done making ice cream and you pour out the remaining mixture of salt and ice on your lawn, it kills the grass?  It does.

-Much.  Quieter.  I can hear myself think when it's running.  Think of all the toppings I can put on my ice cream when it gets done, or the candy bars I can mix in.

-Faster.  About 30 minutes is all you'll need.

Here are some possible drawbacks, although slight.

-You must freeze the insert for about six hours, so you'll need to plan ahead.  I keep mine in the freezer at all times.  It's a little bulky, so if you don't have a lot of freezer space, this could be an issue.

-It only makes two quarts.  My other ice cream maker was huge, so it was difficult to adjust to the smaller quantity.  I managed, but it was hard.  It was hard on the whole family.  And that is why I...

...BOUGHT A SECOND ONE!

But a refurbished one at TJ Maxx for $29.99.  I couldn't even buy another insert for that price, so I splurged.

This recipe is right out of the booklet that came with the ice cream maker.  Yes, I prefer ice cream that is custard based too, silly, but this is a great little recipe for when you don't want to fuss.  Just stir together four ingredients and pour it in.  Turn on the button and voila!  

I sandwiched mine between these delicious cookies that I baked from Sugar Plum.  Everyone loved. 

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into ice cream maker.  Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and place in freezer for a firmer consistency.  About 2 quarts.