Vanilla cider caramel swirl ice cream recipe

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 1¾ cups heavy cream
• 1¼ cups whole milk
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cider Caramel Sauce
• Crumbled graham crackers or Cidersnaps, for topping

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
3. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds from the center with a knife. Set the seeds aside, along with the bean pod shell.
4. Warm the cream, milk, and sugar in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the liquid around the edges of the pot just begins to show signs of bubbling, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Remove from the heat.
5. Using a cup or ladle, slowly pour about half of the heated milk and sugar mixture into the bowl of egg yolks, stirring constantly. Do not add the mixture too fast or the hot liquid may cook the egg. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan.
6. Cook the egg and milk mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and sticks to the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Be careful not to overcook.
7. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve directly into a clean metal bowl (this step ensures that any accidentally cooked egg is removed). Stir in the vanilla bean seeds and the vanilla extract, then quickly place the metal bowl into the ice bath to cool for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. For more vanilla flavor, add the vanilla bean pod.
8. Cover the ice cream base and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
9. Place a bowl or a lidded container for storing the ice cream in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the ice cream base, if you added it. Add the base to the ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
10. Remove the chilled bowl from the freezer and then drizzle some warm (not hot) caramel sauce into the bottom. Scoop a portion of the churned ice cream into the bowl and drizzle more caramel sauce over it. Continue alternately adding layers of ice cream and drizzling caramel sauce. Stir the ice cream in a zigzag pattern with a spoon or knife to swirl the caramel.
11. Cover the bowl tightly, place the ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer, and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.