VERY GOOD ice cream is, of course, commercially available. No matter how fine it is, however, a good homemade ice cream is invariable better. We give our recipe here without instructions for freezing it, as these will depend on the equipment you have. (An ice-cream freezer, whether hand-driven or electrically powered, gives better results than freezing in à refrigerator freezer. ) The quantifies given are for somewhat less than 2 quarts of ice cream.



11/4 cups granulated sugar
8 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
41/4 cups milk
Vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups heavy cream

IN A heavy enameled saucepan, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Beat well with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and thickened and falls in ribbonlike strands from the whisk.

Put the milk and the vanilla bean, if you have one, in another saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean, and pour the hot milk gradually into the sugar-and-egg mixture, beating constantly with a whisk.

Place over moderate heat and cook, still beating constantly, until the mixture thickens into a light custard; do not let it boil.

Then stir,in the butter, which will stop the cooking, and the vanilla extract if you did not use a vanilla bean, and remove immediately from the heat.