MAKES 9 cups - SERVES 8 TO 10

From Ina Garten's 'The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook'. If traditional hot chocolate is so delicious and comforting, I thought, why not white hot chocolate? Nothing could be easier, and it is very satisfying on a cold winter day.

4 CUPS whole milk
4 CUPS half-and-half
1 POUND white chocolate, chopped
2 TEASPOONS pure vanilla extract
8 TO 10 vanilla beans

In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the milk and half-and-half to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and whisk vigorously. Reheat very gently and serve with a vanilla bean as a stirrer in each cup.