These are the Dog Days of Summer. Hot, hot, hot. It’s these types of days that keep my mind from thinking about pastries and sweet treats. All I want is to stay cool and stay hydrated. Thankfully, I’ve been on a soda making spree lately (thanks to this recipe) and spinning another batch of ice cream. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice cream. Crazy-good.

The cookie dough is the best part. Of course it is. You know how when you have store-bought ice cream and you go seeking out the best cookie dough chunks? Then, ultimately, you run out of dough chunks and are left with a disproportionate amount of vanilla ice cream. Well, not with this one. You can add as much cookie dough as you’d like or don’t like. Fold it in at the end and rest easy knowing that there will always be enough. Spoonfuls of vanilla bean specks and dough. Get. Out. Actually, don’t, it’s really hot out there.

Try and use the best quality chocolate you can get your hands on. As with all food, the best quality ingredients only make for a better overall experience. This Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is also a great basic recipe that you can use with any other mix-ins or by itself. Stay cool, everyone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Cookie Dough

Makes 2 cups

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
3/4 cup dark chocolate, preferably Valrhona, chopped

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds until smooth. Add the flour and salt, mix just until combined. Gently, fold in the hazelnuts and chocolate chunks.

Form the dough into a disk, 1/2″ thick, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm and then chop the dough into bite-sized pieces and store them in the freezer until ready to use. Wrapped cookie dough can be stored up to five days in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of kosher salt
2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped
6 egg yolks

In a saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, 1 cup of heavy cream, and salt to a simmer. Add in the vanilla bean seeds and the scraped pods. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and ice. Set aside until ready to use.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a separate medium-sized bowl and place a strainer over it. Set is aside until ready to use. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. In a slow and gradual steady stream, pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. This process is known as tempering. The steady pouring and whisking will gradually heat up your egg yolks, without scrambling them.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula (it should reach 170-175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl with the remaining cream (the strainer is meant to catch any bits of over-cooked egg). Place the bowl into the ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to churn, freeze your ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions or for approximately 20 minutes. When finished churning, fold in the frozen chunks of cookie dough or do alternating layers of dough and ice cream as you transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop.