Thai Tea Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Infuse the cream
   In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk, and Thai tea leaves. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes to extract the tea flavor.
2. Prepare egg mixture
   In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until the mixture becomes pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
3. Strain and reheat
   Strain the infused cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on the tea leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the tea leaves. Reheat the cream mixture over medium heat until it just begins to simmer.
4. Temper the eggs
   Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Gradually add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream, whisking continuously.
5. Cook the custard
   Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 170-175°F), approximately 5-7 minutes. Do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle.
6. Finalize the base
   Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, optional cardamom, and corn syrup. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any potential egg solids. Place this bowl over an ice bath and stir occasionally until cooled to room temperature.
7. Chill and churn
   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20-25 minutes or until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
8. Freeze and serve
   Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container. Press a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream, seal, and freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping to serve.