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Step one: Separate the yolks from the egg whites and reserve the whites for another recipe. This would be the perfect time to try your hand at macarons.
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Put the yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk them until they turn a pale yellow.
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Step two: Making the custard base.
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Put the milk into a heavy sauce pan. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds and scraped pod to the pot of milk. (If you're using vanilla extract do not add the vanilla extract to the milk. The heat will evaporate most of the flavor from the extract. We'll add it later)
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Turn the burner on medium low and bring the milk to a low simmer. Continually whisk the milk so it doesn't scald. You'll see bubbles forming around the edge of the pot when the milk has reached a low simmer. Remove the pot from the burner.
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Step Three: Tempering the yolks and hot milk.
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Carefully temper the hot milk and the egg yolks by slowly drizzling a ladle full of the hot milk into the bowl of the egg yolks while quickly whisking the two mixtures together. Put a dish towel under the bowl of yolks to help keep it from sliding around while you whisk. Do this with two ladles full of hot milk. Once you've added the two ladles full of hot milk to the yolks you can slowly pour the rest of the hot milk into the bowl of tempered yolks. Quickly whisk while you're doing this. Once you've mixed all of the milk into the yolks return the mixture to the pot and turn the heat on medium low.
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Step four: Cooking the custard base.
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Cook the custard on a medium low heat until thickened. Continually whisk the custard while it cooks.
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The custard is done when you can coat the back of a spoon and use your finger to run a trail through the custard and the trail doesn't fill back in. Remove the pot from the burner and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps and the vanilla bean.
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Step five: Chill the custard.
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Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Also at this time, place your ice cream maker bowl and paddle into the freezer to chill.
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Step Six: Making the ice cream.
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Now that your custard base is chilled, prepare your ice cream maker. You should have had your ice cream maker bowl freezing in the freezer already. I keep mine in the freezer all the time so it is ready to go when I am ready to make ice cream.
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Add the vanilla extract to the custard if you're using extract. Mix it in well.
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Step 7: Making the cheesecake portion
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Using a handheld mixer beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and the custard to the bowl of cream cheese and gently fold it all together leaving some lumps of cream cheese visible.
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Step 8: Process the mixture in your ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Scoop ice cream into an air tight container and freeze overnight.
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Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker... After you have folded all the ingredients together pour the ice cream base into a airtight container and freeze overnight.
