Name: Vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 200ml whole milk; 400ml double cream; 2 vanilla pods, split and seeds scraped out; 6 egg yolks; 150g golden caster sugar; 2 tbsp vodka; to serve ice-cream cones; 50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped or broken into pieces; 25g unsalted butter; 100ml double cream

200ml whole milk
400ml double cream
2 vanilla pods
split and seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
150g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp vodka
to serve ice-cream cones

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

50g dark chocolate
roughly chopped or broken into pieces
25g unsalted butter
100ml double cream

Method

step 1
Put the whole milk, double cream and vanilla pods and seeds into a pan over a low heat and bring very gently to just below simmering. Remove from the heat and cover for 1 hour to infuse.
step 2
Remove the vanilla pods, then bring the cream mixture gently back to a simmer. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl, and whisk until lightly fluffy. Once the milk has just reached simmering point, pour a little over the egg mixture while whisking. Pour over the rest of the milk and cream gradually, whisking all the time. Clean the pan, then pour everything back in. Put over a low heat and cook gently, constantly stirring, until the custard thickly coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a bowl, stir in the vodka, cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour. Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn until thick, then scrape into a tub and freeze completely.
step 3
Put the chocolate, butter and cream into a small pan and heat gently until fully melted. Leave to cool until just warm.
step 4
Scoop the ice cream into balls and serve in cones, with plenty of the warm chocolate sauce poured over the top.