Butterscotch Ice Cream

This ice cream was devoured before I could snap a picture of it. So I'm posting the recipe photo-less, since it was too good not to be shared. My family was visiting for the weekend and my mom baked my favorite German Chocolate Cake (an early birthday celebration). And I picked this ice cream to accompany it. It was the perfect duo. Rich chocolate cake with boiled coconut-pecan frosting and light creamy butterscotch delight. It was excellent served soft right from the ice cream machine as well as spooned from the freezer a few days later.

Butterscotch Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half and half
6 large egg yolks

DIRECTIONS
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup whipping cream until smooth; remove butterscotch mixture from heat.

2. In a separate saucepan over medium-high heat, combine remaining 1 cup whipping cream and the half-and-half; bring to a simmer.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat egg yolks to blend. Whisk 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into egg yolks, then pour egg yolk mixture into pan with cream. Stir constantly over low heat just until mixture is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.

4. Pour through a fine strainer into a clean bowl and whisk in butterscotch mixture. Chill until cold, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours; or cover and chill up to 1 day.

5. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve softly frozen, or transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from Sunset via Smitten Kitchen)

Peach Ice Cream

We're on the verge of a week-long getaway to the beach. Actually, let me clarify. We'll be cramming with my family (and a few add-ons- friends, girlfriends) into a modest (a.k.a. somewhat small and outdated) beach house. But it's right on the ocean. And there will be swimming and sunbathing and all sorts of fun involved. My family makes this trip to the Carolina coast every summer. And this is the first time we're lucky enough to be able to join them! We've been looking forward to this for months.

We'll also be celebrating our 5th anniversary while we're away. And we have a special little escape planned for just the two of us- involving a charming southern town, dinner out, and a picturesque bed and breakfast. (We decided a crowded beach house wasn't exactly romantic.)  I can't wait! 

There won't be a whole lot of cooking happening this week. We'll be relishing the local seafood. And trying to stay out of each others way in the kitchen. But for sure there will be fish tacos and always pizza. (Pizza is my most-requested dish. I've become expert at whipping out double, triple, quadruple, etc. etc. batches of pizza dough. I can make enough pizza to feed a small country.)

Before I go I wanted to share this little recipe. For a luscious and dreamy peach ice cream. Now is the time to pick up a basket full of peaches and make yourself this frozen treat. It's tangy and sweet and smooth (although it could be chunky if you preferred). Not that you would want to wait, but definitely enjoy this ice cream soon after it has been churned. Because of the fruit, it gets frosty and loses some of its creaminess after being frozen for too long.

Peach Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the peaches and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, covered and stirring occasionally, until the peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sugar, and set aside to cool.

2. Add the cooled peaches to a blender or food processor and puree until chunky or smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir in the peaches. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Once chilled, transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Note: This ice cream is best enjoyed immediately or soon after churning, as it gets frosty after being in the freezer for very long.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from David Lebovitz via Annie's Eats)

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

I had no idea that making my own frozen yogurt would be so easy! OK, it does require an ice cream maker. That's the only catch. But everyone should own an ice cream machine. Homemade ice cream- and now frozen yogurt- is unbelievable. And it's sad that I only figured this out so recently. But we'll talk about ice cream another day. This moment belongs to yogurt.

I adore yogurt. I just don't care for the thin runny stuff. (Or all the sugary flavored varieties.) I love pure unadulterated thick and luscious plain Greek yogurt. It's marvelous paired with fruit and a drizzle of honey. I eat it almost daily. And that's what's used in this recipe. The original source suggested using whole milk yogurt for the creamiest result. And while I agree that whole milk yogurt would make this wonderful, I didn't want my fro-yo to be as calorie dense as ice cream. So I went with 2%. I also reduced the amount of sugar. I wanted my frozen yogurt to be pleasantly sweet, with a bit of tartness sneaking through. And that's just what I got. A creamy and simultaneously tart and sweet frozen treat. I served it straight out of the ice cream machine topped with sliced kiwi and fresh berries.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

INGREDIENTS
4 cups plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate at least one hour.

2. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. (Mine took about 20 minutes to churn.)

Several notes: This frozen yogurt is best enjoyed immediately after churning. It eventually loses its creaminess and solidifies in the freezer. Also, this recipe can be scaled down to make fewer servings. Just reduce the sugar and vanilla accordingly.

Makes slightly more than a quart.

(Adapted from David Lebovitz via 101 Cookbooks)

Chocolate Ice Cream

Since Dustin just turned 30 and he loves chocolate (and since no birthday party would be complete without cake and ice cream), I chose this recipe. Out of my ice-cream machine came the most decadent, most intensely chocolatey frozen treat. Thick and rich and almost chewy (if you can imagine such a thing). I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, but would probably choose bittersweet next time. The darker the better, I say. And while Dutch-processed cocoa powder is recommended, you can get away with regular (or a mixture in my case). I always churn my ice cream at least several hours ahead of when I want to eat it so that it has some time to set up in the freezer. But I won't judge if you end up eating it straight out of the machine. One spoonful and you'll lose all self-restraint.

Chocolate Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark- a blend of regular and Dutch-processed cocoa)
5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170 F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath. (I skipped the ice bath step.)

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

There's not much to say about this recipe except that I adore honey and I love creamy vanilla ice cream. So here's my effort at combining the two. I decided if I was going to do this right I was going to use 100% honey (no sugar in sight). Here I learned that the flavor and intensity of particular types of honey vary depending on the flower source of the nectar that the bees collect. There are over 300 varieties of honey found in the US alone, with wildflower, clover, tulepo, and orange blossom being a few of the more common ones. Certain types of honey are much stronger than others. Generally, the the lighter the color the milder the flavor and the darker the color the bolder it is. Since you don't want to be overpowered with each bite, it's best to choose a mild honey for this purpose. While I desire the richness that adding egg yolks lends to ice cream, I suspect you could make this Philadelphia-style and leave them out. If you do- let me know how it goes!

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup mild honey
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 egg yolks

DIRECTIONS
1. With a knife scrape the seeds of the halved vanilla bean into a large heavy saucepan and stir in pods, milk, salt, honey and 1 cup cream. Bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove pan from heat.

2. In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Add hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking (this process is called tempering, if you add the hot cream too fast the eggs will scramble), and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170 F (or the custard coats the back of a spoon). (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl, stir in the remaining cup of cream, and cool. Chill custard until cold (preferably overnight).

3. Freeze custard according to ice-cream maker instructions.Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from French-style Vanilla Bean Ice Cream)

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

Three years ago we graduated from undergrad at BYU, stuffed almost all of our belongings into our tiny blue Civic, and left Utah in the rear-view mirror. Now for the first time since then, I'm back! I'm here on my own (while Dustin is busy with school) for a few days to spend time with my sisters, friends, and relatives who I don't see often enough. I thought it would feel strange to return after such a long absence, but it feels more like returning home. Is that possible? To have several places where you feel you belong? We love Richmond and I'm so happy there. But I have so many fond memories of our four years here. It's where I first moved after leaving home, where I met Dustin, where I got married, and where I fell in love with food. That's right. My cooking adventures started in the teeny one-bedroom apartment we rented while going to school here.

This week I get to revisit all the people and places (mainly restaurants, of course!) in Utah that I love and take my mind off the big change awaiting me. Only two weeks until I start working full time. Yes, I'm excited about being an OR intern, but the anticipation is getting to me. (And I had to take advantage of my current free time, since there won't be any vacationing in the near future.)

So I'll be out of the kitchen for a while. But no worries- I've saved a few special recipes to share from afar. Starting with this luxurious dessert: caramelized banana ice cream. I served it with the Browned Butter Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Frosting I recently posted. Ripe bananas are roasted with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until soft and syrupy. Then they're churned with a vanilla cream base to create a distinctly banana treat. Yummy and unique.

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
4 ripe bananas, sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. To roast bananas, preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil and place banans in it. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and pour melted butter over top. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until caramelized. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, combine cream, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

3. Once bananas have cooled completely, puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth. Whisk bananas into the milk mixture until well combined. Refrigerate several hours or overnight until chilled.

4. Churn mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's direction. Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze several hours to set up.

(Adapted from Our Best Bites)

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Mmmhh. Have you ever toasted coconut? Something magical happens. The little shreds of fruit get crisp and intensely coconutty. Infuse that flavor into creamy rich vanilla bean ice cream and it's heavenly. This ice cream is completely smooth because the coconut flakes are removed after imparting their flavor. Good for those who dislike the texture but appreciate the taste of coconut (like my husband). You can always top your scoop with a sprinkling of toasted sweetened coconut to add a touch of crunch. I served this ice cream alongside this Pistachio Layer Cake with Honey Buttercream. Yum!

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
shredded sweetened coconut, toasted for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. To toast the coconut, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet and toaste in preheated oven, stirring frequently, 6-8 minutes, until golden brown.

2. Heat the milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves (do not boil). Stir in the toasted coconut. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the heated milk and add the vanilla pod. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

3. Reheat the milk mixture, then strain, making sure to squeeze out any liquid from the solids. Discard the coconut and vanilla bean. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly stream the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain the custard through a sieve and stir in the remaining cup of cream and vanilla extract.

5. Refrigerate custard overnight, or at least several hours, until chilled. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve garnished with toasted sweetened coconut, if desired.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from The Perfect Scoop via Use Real Butter)

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I've been churning a quart of ice cream almost weekly since I unwrapped my ice cream maker on Christmas Day. I've made a lot of vanilla- French-style with eggs and Philadelphia-style without, some with whole milk and another batch with low-fat. Then came the richest most luxurious ice cream I've ever met- Salted Caramel. This last week I spiced up the usual vanilla with a little cinnamon. I thought it was the perfect occasion to try a new addition to my spice collection- Vietnamese cinnamon. Vietnamese cinnamon is known for its intensity. According to My Spice Sage it's powerfully spicy, sweet, and warm. For this reason, I used slightly less than the recipe called for. I didn't want the cinnamon to overwhelm the other flavors. And it was just right. You can, of course, stick to using any regular ground cinnamon. Just make sure it's fairly fresh so that your ice cream is aromatic and wonderful.

I realize I occasionally use ingredients that aren't easy to find at every supermarket. I've had trouble locating some of them myself and/or been frustrated at how expensive they are. And then recently I discovered the web site I referenced above- My Spice Sage. (I'm NOT being paid to advertise for them or getting any credit at all- I'm just sharing my sources!) They carry almost any obscure spice you can dream up, and then all the usuals. Shipping is a reasonable flat rate and they always throw in a free sample of your choice, as well as a free gift (with my last order I got 8 FREE Madagascar Vanilla Beans- which is worth quite a bit of money and handy when you're making so much vanilla ice cream). And I know that there are other similar sites out there.

In case you're wondering, those are the Browned Butter Walnut Brownies I made for Valentines Day and served with this cinnamon ice cream. The combination was devastating. Dustin, who doesn't care much for cinnamon, was amazed at how much he loved it. He asked me how a little spice could transform ordinary ice cream into something so good. Magic is my guess.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (or 2% milk)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, whisked (or 5 yolks)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used 1 1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from the heat and add to the whisked eggs in a slow stream, whisking constantly (if you alter the temperature too quickly the eggs will scramble).

2. Pour back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until custard coats the back of a spoon and registers 170 F (do not let boil). Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaning cream, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Chill custard (preferably overnight) until very cold.

3. Pour custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer to firm up.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from Simply Recipes and All Recipes)

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

I wish I could claim this recipe was quick and easy. But unless you're a professional candy-maker (not me), it's a bit tricky. First, you have to make the caramel. I'm not talking about melting little candy squares- I mean the old-fashioned way with sugar and cream and heat. This part was the most stressful for me. Then you have to make the custard, which requires tempering (not scrambling) the eggs and thickening the mixture without boiling it. This I had done before, but it makes me nervous every time. Several times during the process I thought for sure my caramel was ruined (is it supposed to clump and harden like that?!). But I kept going, with the faint hope that I wasn't going to have to pour such precious ingredients down the drain.

And then worst of all, you have to wait. After all of this work, you can't enjoy the results of your effort until the next day. The custard must chill overnight (or the better part of a day) before churning. But you know what? Despite a few glitches, it somehow worked. And it was worth all the trouble and the patience. I ended up with intensely rich, smooth, creamy caramel ice cream. With a touch of salt to offset the sweet. This is the type of recipe that makes you truly proud (and relieved) when you're done. My own frozen masterpiece.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 tsp. flaky sea salt such as Maldon (I used kosher salt)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

2. Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

4. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

5. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Recipe from Gourmet)

Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm hooked on homemade ice cream. And now that I've discovered an even simpler method for vanilla bean, I might never go back to buying it! So what's the difference between French and Philadelphia-style ice creams? Eggs. French-style incorporates egg yolks to make a custard base that has to be heated to a certain temperature. It's luxuriously soft and rich and creamy. Whereas Philadelphia-style doesn't use any eggs at all, which makes the preparation much quicker. You still heat a little of the cream to infuse the vanilla bean, but there's no thermometers or tempering involved. Super easy! The result is a slightly firmer, icier ice cream. We preferred the Philadelphia-style, especially for pairing with other desserts- such as White Chocolate Walnut Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce (pictured above)!

Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Pour 1 cup of cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cup of cream, the milk, and the vanilla extract.

2. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight). When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, and freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. After churning, freeze for several hours to harden.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from David Lebovitz)

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (French-Style)

Here it is, my first batch of homemade ice cream! Naturally, I started with vanilla. Made with the real thing- a Madagascar vanilla bean! First, a word on vanilla beans. I did a little research on the subject and concluded a few things: there are several places they come from (Tahiti, Mexico, and Madagascar) and the origin of the bean affects its flavor and potency, they are expensive, and they're best fresh. Madagascar (also referred to as Bourbon) beans tend to be bold and robust. Why I chose to use them brings us to point number two- price. A single vanilla bean can set you back anywhere from 3-10 $ at a local grocery store. So I went online and found a great deal at Amazon- 7 Madagascar beans for around 7 $ (and free shipping). Sold. But if you can't fathom yourself using up seven beans in the next year or so, this may not be the best option for you. They're only worth it if they're fresh, which is evident if they're juicy and plump and intensely vanilla-y. Store them in a airtight container (such as a zipped plastic baggie) in a cool dark place (but NOT the refrigerator or freezer). I anticipated that I wouldn't have a problem making seven batches of ice cream in the next year. In fact, I may be out of vanilla beans by next month.

Now about the ice cream. I read up on a lot of recipes before attempting this one. Apparently there's not one right way to do vanilla. Since it was my first try, I went with an ultra-creamy highly rated recipe from David Lebovitz. And then I switched things up by following the method from a recipe in Gourmet. I took some risks, and second guessed myself quite a bit, but in the end all was well. Here's what I learned: you could substitute half and half or a lower fat milk for some of the cream (but the end product will be less creamy and more icy), the vanilla extract is optional (the vanilla bean provided plenty of flavor on it's own and next time I plan on omitting the extract), and the custard can be made without a thermometer (it will just be more stressful). If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring the custard to the point where it begins to bubble around the edges of the pot, before it reaches a full boil, and remove it from the heat. It worked for me. But I didn't enjoy worrying about whether I was going to ruin my custard so I already went out and bought a thermometer for next time.

My last piece of advice is to make sure that the custard and the ice cream maker bowl are both properly cold before the churning process begins. Carefully follow the instructions that came with your ice cream maker. I know this seems like a lot to remember, but it's not as complicated as it sounds. The finished product is so luxurious and infinitely better than what you'll buy in the store that it's worth the few extra steps. This recipe is fantastic on it's own or perfect for topping a fudgy brownie or slice of pie. And you always have the option of adding in something extra- I'm thinking cinnamon!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (French-Style)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole milk
pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. With a knife scrape the seeds of the halved vanilla bean into a large heavy saucepan and stir in pods, milk, salt, sugar, and cream. Bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove pan from heat.

2. In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Add hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking (this process is called tempering, if you add the hot cream too fast the eggs will scramble), and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl (making sure to remove the vanilla bean pods), stir in the vanilla extract (if using), and cool. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, at least 3 hours, or until cold (preferably overnight).

3. Freeze custard according to ice-cream maker instructions.Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from David Lebovitz and Gourmet)