This is the real thing: real vanilla beans and real heavy cream reminiscent of old-time creamery blends. This is better than any store-bought premium brand—and it’s sugar-free. Here’s a tip: make your ice cream base the day before and refrigerate it overnight. The colder it is when you get ready to freeze, the better it will turn out.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quart

　　1 cup whole milk

　　1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

　　1/2 cup light agave nectar

　　Pinch of sea salt

　　2 large egg yolks

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　

Step 1

Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Place the milk in a small saucepan with the vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, agave nectar, and salt. Heat over low heat until the mixture is hot. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the hot milk and whisk. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Remove from the heat and place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water. Continue stirring to cool down the mixture. When the mixture is only slightly warm, stir in the cream. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold—several hours or overnight is best. Pour the mixture through a strainer into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

VARIATIONS

Step 3

Be creative. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add approximately 1/2 cup of your favorite ice cream mixers. Some suggestions:

　　

Step 4

Toasted nuts

　　

Step 5

Grain-sweetened chocolate chips

　　

Step 6

Chopped dried fruit

　　

Step 7

Crumbled cookies (made with agave, of course)

　　

Step 8

Agave brownie crumbles

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.