Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Place the raisins, rum and orange peel in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it comes to boil. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside. Once cooled, store the raisins and rum in a glass jar with a lid at room temperature until needed.
2. Add the milk to a heavy bottom, medium saucepan. Add ½ cup of the sugar, salt, and the vanilla bean pod to the milk. Warm over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture almost comes to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Steep for 30 minutes.
3. While the milk is steeping, combine the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar with the 4 egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Set aside.
4. Place a large glass or metal pan inside another larger bowl filled with ice. Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl set in the ice bath. Set aside.
5. After the milk mixture has steeped for 30 minutes, remove the vanilla bean pod and scrape all the beans into the milk mixture. Put the milk back on medium heat and cook until it starts to boil. Remove from the heat.
6. Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling a little of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly. Continue adding the hot milk to the egg yolks, a little at a time, until combined.
7. Once the hot milk has all been added to the eggs, pour the egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon.
8. Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese. Whisk or blend with an immersion / stick blender until smooth. Pour the custard into the cream set over the ice bath. Stir occasionally (about every 5 minutes) while cooling, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate the custard for at least 8 hours or overnight before processing.
9. Drain the raisins and add the rum to the custard mixture. Process according to the manufacturers directions for your ice cream maker. Once processed, stir in the raisins and freeze the finished ice cream for several hours or overnight before serving.