Gelato alla vaniglia

It is possible to make ice cream without an ice-cream machine. Achieving the light and creamy texture, however, requires whisking by hand to break down the ice particles. You can use a vanilla bean here in place of the essence — just heat up the milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan with the split vanilla bean to extract its seeds. Cool and strain before freezing. Remove the ice cream from the freezer before serving to soften it slightly.