For your first batch, this is the way to go. Malt extract comes in cans as syrup , and as a dried powder . Both work equally well, but if you want to store some for later use, dried keeps much better than syrup. There are many different brands, and flavors available. The simplest thing to do is pick a recipe and follow it.
Recipes are available in homebrew books, the internet, and from many homebrew suppliers.
Look around until something strikes your fancy. Easy, add water and boil. Most homebrew recipes are for 5 gallons, but this does not mean that you need to boil the entire batch. Simply add the malt extract to about 3 gallons of warm water, and stir until fully dissolved. Then, gently heat until boiling.