Velvety Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

1. Prep Work

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk powder, sugar, and kosher salt.

2. Combining Ingredients

In a large saucepan, blend 1 1/4 cups of the whole milk, heavy cream, corn syrup, and the sugar mixture from the small bowl. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking often to ensure the sugar dissolves and no lumps remain. Watch for tiny bubbles to appear around the edge of the saucepan, and continue until the mixture reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Cornstarch Slurry

While that mixture is heating, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of whole milk with the cornstarch in a separate small bowl to create a slurry.

4. Thickening the Base

Once the milk and cream mixture is at temperature, reduce the heat to medium. Re-whisk the cornstarch slurry, then incorporate it into the saucepan. Continuously scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a rubber spatula and cook until the mixture thickens, which should take about 30 seconds. Immediately strain the ice cream base through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Allow the mixture to cool down until it's no longer steaming, roughly 20 minutes.

5. Chilling

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the base until it reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit, at least 6 hours or overnight. For a quicker chill, set the bowl in an ice bath with 6 cups of ice, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/3 cup of table salt, and chill to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Churning

Churn the chilled base in your ice cream maker until it thickens to the consistency of thick soft serve and reaches 21 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 30 minutes.

7. Freezing

Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container, pressing down to remove any air pockets. Freeze until firm, which should take at least 2 hours.