Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (sans machine)

If you like scrambled egg whites, like we do, SAVE YOUR EGG YOLKS.  I screamed at you, sorry.  But ever since I made homemade ice cream I see leftover yolks in a whole new light.  And ever since I discovered you don't need any fancy equipment to make the icy treat, I've been dying to try new flavors.  Cut to me staring at a bag of half-eaten mini Oreos yesterday and deciding, I'm going to make ice cream this instant.  So I did.  Creamy, rich, chunky, luscious, wonderful ice cream.

I'm getting the hang of this, you guys.  It is a really simple thing to do.  At one point, I was casually stirring egg yolks into milk, reading my Twitter feed on my iPhone AND whistling.  That's three things at once.  I can totally handle two kids.        

Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (sans machine)
(Makes approx. 5 cups)
Printable Recipe

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
2 cups crushed Oreos

Heat milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Turn off heat.  Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl.  Slowly add just a little of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks while constantly stirring with spoon or whisk.  Once incorporated, add all of the egg yolks into the saucepan of milk.  Return to stove and cook over low heat, constantly stirring, until mixture thickens slightly (enough to lightly coat a spoon or spatula).  Remove from heat.  Place a large plastic bowl in an even larger bowl full of ice water (essentially you're creating an ice bath).  Place a strainer over the smaller bowl.  Pour the heavy cream through the strainer into bowl.  Then pour the egg mixture through the strainer into bowl.  Stir to combine.  Remove large bowl from ice bath and place in freezer.  Leave in freezer until ice cream starts to thicken and freeze, stirring every 30 or 45 minutes.  Once thick enough (see consistency above), pour in crushed Oreos and stir.  Return to freezer and continue with 30-minute stirring rotation until you've reached your desired consistency.  Place plastic wrap directly on top of ice cream to store (this will eliminate freezer burn).