Ingredients
300g (1 cup) caster sugar
12 egg yolks
2 vanilla pods
500ml milk
500ml pure cream


Method
In a bowl, lightly whisk sugar and egg yolks together. Split vanilla pods (vanilla beans) lengthwise and scrape seeds from pods into a 2 litre saucepan. Add vanilla pods to pan with the milk and cream and bring almost to the boil. Whisk hot milk mixture into eggs then return mixture to the saucepan over moderate heat.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let mixture boil. Refrigerate until cold. Churn in an ice cream machine. Store in freezer.

For white chocolate ice cream: Prepare ice cream as directed. When fully churned, stir in 250g grated best quality white chocolate.

For pistachio ice cream: Blanch 180g shelled unsalted pistachios in boiling water, drain and rub in a clean towel to remove most of the skin. Pulse briefly in a food processor to roughly chop. Mix in 60ml kirsch. Prepare ice cream as directed and when fully churned, stir through pistachio mixture.

For rum and raisin ice cream: Soak 150g raisins in 125ml dark rum overnight. Prepare ice cream as directed, except omit vanilla. When fully churned, add rum and raisins.

For espresso ice cream: Prepare ice cream omitting vanilla. Add 100g whole coffee beans and 60ml espresso coffee to milk and cream mixture. Strain coffee beans out just prior to churning.

For coconut ice cream: Prepare ice cream, omitting vanilla. Substitute coconut cream for the milk and reduce caster sugar to 200g. When half churned, add 4 tablespoons lightly roasted desiccated coconut and continue to churn.

For passionfruit ice cream: Prepare ice cream, except omit vanilla and milk and increase cream to 700ml. Add 300ml strained passionfruit to egg, sugar and hot cream mixture before returning to saucepan to finish cooking.