In a small dish, beat egg yolks with a fork. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar, and sea salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves.

Pour a small amount of hot cream into the beaten egg yolks.

Continue tempering hot into cold, a few splashes at a time, stirring well after each addition, until you’ve added about half of the hot cream.

Pour tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Whisk in white chocolate and vanilla bean paste, stirring until chocolate melts.

Stir in vodka, if using.

Pour into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Whisk chilled base briskly to recombine. Pour into frozen ice cream maker, with bowl frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Churn until thick and creamy, about 15-20 minutes. The consistency will resemble soft serve ice cream.

With ice cream maker still churning, add coconut in small amounts, allowing mixture to churn for a few minutes after each addition.

With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop coconut ice cream into a freezer-safe container.

Freeze 2-4 hours prior to serving, or until ice cream reaches scoopable consistency.

Store homemade ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. For a scoopable consistency, allow to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.