This tastes like vanilla ice cream and feels like snow.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 3 cups

　　1 1/2 cups milk

　　1/2 cup half-and-half

　　6 tablespoons sugar

　　1-inch piece vanilla bean

　　1/4 cup egg whites (2 large eggs)

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the milk, half-and-half, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Cut the vanilla bean in half the long way, and scrape out the tiny black seeds inside. Add the bean and the scrapings to the milk mixture. Stir with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved.

　　

Step 2

Put the egg whites into a clean metal bowl, and beat them with a whisk or beater until they are thick and white and will hold the shape of soft peaks when you lift up the whisk. Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the whites and beat until the form stiff peaks.

　　

Step 3

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk mixture. (If you let it dry, it can be used again for something else.) Add the egg whites to the milk mixture, and use a spatula to gently fold the two together. You can use a whisk to gently break up any large bits of whites. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to the directions.

　　Reprinted with permission from Fanny at Chez Panisse, by Alice Waters, HarperCollins