Cardamom Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups (scant) milk or light cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

• Put the milk, or light cream, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods into a heavy pan and bring slowly to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Take out the vanilla bean and scape the seeds into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Gently reheat the milk or cream and beat a little of it into the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the cream and return the pan to a low heat. Stir until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or you'll get pieces of scrambled egg.
• Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until it has almost cooled. Whip the whipping cream lightly and fold it into the custard. Add the 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.

Helpful Hints

• Be careful not to add too much cardamom to the recipe. Cardamom is a very strong flavor, and too much of it can cause a soapy taste.