After freezing the basic ice cream you may add any dried fruit that has been soaked for 12 hours in cognac. Prunes & Cognoc. I have tried peppermint candies with a little peppermint extract. Macadamia nuts are also a possibility.

1. Heat the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a heavy bottomed pot, until well mixed.

3. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk. Add the milk to the egg yolk mixture and stir constantly over low heat, until the liquid thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Do Not Boil.

4. Transfer immediately to another bowl. Cover with waxed paper and cool in the refrigerator, mixing occasionally to prevent a crust from forming.

5. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

From the 'REcipeinternet: Recipes from Around the World' recipe list.