(adapted from In The Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion by Regan Daley)

Lusciously flavorful- fat, moist vanilla beans infuse a big, rich, robust fragrant quality.

2 c. half & half cream
2 plump vanilla beans, split and scraped out or substitute with 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 lg. egg yolks
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 c. heavy cream

In a heavy-bottomed 2 qt. saucepan, combine the half & half cream and the vanilla beans (using both hulls and seeds). Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring just to a boil, watching closely so the cream does not boil over. Remove from the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Beat just until it pales and thickens slightly.

Return the pot to the stove and bring the mixture just below a boil. Remove from heat. Place a damp kitchen towel around the base of the egg yolk and sugar bowl to keep it still, then mix in the hot cream, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Rinse out the saucepan with cool water (but do not dry it because this will prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom of the pan). Return the custard mixture to the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (7 to 15 minutes). Test readiness by running your finger along the coated spoon- it should leave a clean trail. Return custard mixture to the bowl.

Add heavy cream to the custard mixture; mix well. Place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin. Poke a few holes in the plastic to let steam escape and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to process the chilled custard, strain the hulls before processing in an ice cream maker (check out this excellent product) according to the manufacturer’s instructions (inevitably VERY EASY). Transfer the softly frozen ice cream to a freezable container and freeze until firm.