MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

True white chocolate contains cocoa butter, while white baking chips often contain palm oil or other fat. To ensure an authentic chocolate texture, use premium-quality white chocolate, often found in the candy section of your supermarket.

1 cup milk
2 large eggs
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and slowly beat the hot milk into the eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Mix until the chocolate is melted. Pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly,
then stir in the cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Variations:

WHITE AND DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM Add 1 cup shaved bittersweet chocolate to the machine when the ice cream is semi-frozen. Allow the machine to mix in the chocolate. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM Add 1 cup crumbled cheesecake (without crust) to the machine when the ice cream is semi-frozen. Allow the machine to mix in the cake. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY ALMOND CRUNCH ICE CREAM Stir 2 tablespoons water
into 1/2 cup raspberry jam to loosen it up. Swirl the jam plus 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds into the finished ice cream. Take care not to overswirl or the jam will "melt" into the ice cream. Streaks of jam should be visible. Serve immediately or freeze until firm.