Vanilla Ice Cream

Heat the cream and milk over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils – you’ll see a few bubbles at the edge. Take off the heat, fold in the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract and set aside for 30 minutes so the vanilla can infuse.

Put the egg yolks and golden caster sugar into a bowl, and beat with an electric hand mixer for around 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened, is paler in colour and falls in thick ribbons when you lift the beaters.

Using a measuring jug, scoop out around 125ml of the cream mixture and beat into the egg yolks to slacken them. Reheat the remaining cream until it just comes to the boil, take off the heat and stir in the egg yolk mixture.

Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes, until it reaches a custard mixture and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Watch that it doesn’t boil – as soon as you see any bubbles about to burst to the surface, it should be thick enough, so take the pan off the heat so the mixture doesn’t curdle.

Get the ice cream machine running, then slowly pour in the cold custard. Leave it to churn for 10-30 minutes (depending on your machine). When it stops, it will probably be too soft to eat, so spoon into a plastic container and freeze.