Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Ten 3" cinnamon sticks, broken up

2 cups heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover and remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the cinnamon infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker and then in the freezer.

Ok, this picture doesn't look like much (kind of looks like your basic vanilla), but I promise it is the best ice cream ever! It's definitely the best one I have ever made. The flavor is unmatched. The texture is so smooth and creamy. And since my beloved Blue Bell does not make cinnamon ice cream (to my knowledge at least), this is the best there is! It takes a long time to make and it requires making a custard, but it is SO worth the effort! We'll be enjoying making and eating this for many years!