Vanilla Custard with Butterscotch Swirls

Though often dismissed as ‘boring,’ vanilla is one of the world’s most thrilling ingredients. Its flavor is impossibly complex—composed of more than 200 compounds—each variety of bean and extract with its own distinct profile. And when you truly want to celebrate top-tier vanilla, you have to make ice cream. More specifically, custard; the added egg yolks intensify vanilla’s nuanced flavor. That’s why we churn a dense, decadent vanilla custard, then drizzle in housemade butterscotch. Brown sugar and butter melt together before cream and a splash of scotch whisk in, creating smooth, buttery swirls that amplify vanilla’s romantic, smoky character. When simplicity is done right, it’s anything but dull.