Eggnog icecream

Allow 24 hours to make this rich boozy homemade icecream goodness! You can make this several days or weeks in advance of when you wish to serve it. Let it sit out at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly before serving to make scooping easier.

Ingredients

500 ml	Cream (Main)
500 ml	Milk
1	Vanilla pod
1 quill	Cinnamon
½ tsp	Grated nutmeg
5	Egg yolks (Main)
200 g	Sugar
50 ml	Rum

Directions

1. Measure the cream and milk into a large saucepan.
2. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds out into the milk mix.
3. Add the cinnamon quill and nutmeg and bring to a simmer. Don't let it boil over! Then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool and infuse for at least 30 minutes
4. Bring the milk mix back up to a simmer. While the mix is heating, whisk together the yolks and sugar until pale and creamy.
5. Once the mix is hot, whisk a third of it into the yolks and sugar to dissolve them, then stir that back into the pan of milk mix.
6. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to thicken slightly and form a custard. Immediately pour out into a large mixing bowl (or other wide, shallow container) to cool.
7. Once cool enough to touch, stir in the rum.
8. From here you then have 3 options depending on what equipment you have at your disposal:

• I'm the proud owner of an icecream machine!Pour the custard mix into the freezing bowl and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• I have an electric planetary mixer/food processor!Freeze the custard overnight. The following day, allow to thaw slightly until you can break it up into chunks. Beat the hell out of it with the paddle attachment/process at maximum speed for about 2 minutes. This should break the ice crystals down to a sufficiently small size that the texture is smooth, rather than gritty. If the first round of processing doesn't do it, return the mix to the freezer for an hour to bring the temperature back down, then repeat. Once you have a smooth texture, transfer to a sealed container and freeze to set.
• I have a fork!This is how icecream was made back when men were men and beer was mead. It's not difficult; you just have to be around for an afternoon and evening. Put the custard in a big bowl into the freezer. After 2 hours, stir vigorously with the fork, scraping ice crystals from the edges into the middle. Repeat hourly after this, the aim being to always break down the ice crystals as small as possible. Once you reach the "soft-set" stage, where the mix holds its shape but isn't solid, pour into a sealed container and freeze to set.