Vanilla ice cream

Good ol' plain-jane vanilla ice cream. Once you've tasted homemade, you'll never go back to store-bought.

Note: if you still don't have an ice cream maker, please go get one. I like the Cuisinart one.

From David Lebovitz:

3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat 1 cup cream in a saucepan with the sugar and salt. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the mixture, add the pod. Warm over medium heat, stirring til sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream/milk and vanilla extract. Chill thoroughly in the fridge. Remove the vanilla pod before mixing in your ice cream maker. (Note: the vanilla pod can be rinsed and re-used for homemade vanilla extract.)