Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream

Ok so all my peeps know I got an ice cream maker for my birthday and I've been pretty much churn-crazy  for four months now.* Kahlua, mint choc chip, peppermint candy...salted caramel (oh. em. gee.) the list goes on! My latest experiment was bourbon vanilla: 

5 egg yolks
1/2 C. sugar
1 3/4 C. heavy whipping cream
1 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. bourbon

Start out by whisking 1/4 C. of the sugar with the 5 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside. Next make the base in a heavy non-reactive saucepan with the cream, milk, salt, 1/4 C. of the sugar, and the vanilla bean (split open with seeds scraped into the mixture). Heat over medium-high heat until just about to come to a rolling simmer. Take 1/2 C. of the hot cream mixture and sloooowly add it to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Repeat with another 1/2 C. of hot cream mixture. Once blended, gently add the egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium heat until the back of a spatula stays clear when you run your finger through the coating. Remove from heat. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl. Put bowl in ice bath until cool to the touch; chill in refrigerator (covered) for 2 hrs or overnight. Right before putting mixture into ice cream maker, remove vanilla bean, and fold in vanilla extract. Churn according to machine directions, about 20-30 min. Just before the end of churning, add bourbon. Freeze & enjoy!

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You of course don't have to use the bean if you're trying to save some dinero, but it really does make a difference in flavor. It should come as no surprise that I actually have some homemade bourbon caramel sauce to go on top. Too much? Eh. "it cooks out." So. Much. Yum.  Overwhelming!

*never bought this much heavy cream in my life. A little gross, now that i think about it....