Step 1

In a medium bowl, add milk and sugar. Whisk well until sugar is dissolved. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. If desired, split vanilla bean pods in half and scrape out the seeds into the milk mixture. Whisk to fully incorporate. Place bowl into freezer for about 15 minutes, to chill the mixture.

Step 2

Turn on ice cream maker. Use rubber spatula to transfer mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and churn according to your machine’s manufacturer instructions, generally 20-25 minutes.  Mixture will be soft and creamy, with a consistency similar to soft serve.

Step 3

Use rubber spatula to fully transfer ice cream into a freezer-safe container (we use a metal loaf pan). Cover and freeze at least 2 hours, or until ice cream firms up. Serve with caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce, fresh berries, sprinkles, or simply as-is.