This ice cream combines two of my favorite things here at Recchiuti: our signature Burnt Caramel Sauce and dense Brownies studded with unsweetened Valrhona chocolate. You can make the sauce and brownies yourself, get them at Recchiuti.com or substitute ours for whatever you can find. But like I always say, make sure you go for the good stuff--you'll really taste the difference.

MAKE THE ICE CREAM

Stir the milk and 1/3 cup of the sugar together in a small saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the bean into the pan and then add the bean. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap, and let steep at least 1 hour at room temperature, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve and return to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

While the milk is reheating, combine the egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and thick and forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted from the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes.

Switch the mixer to low speed. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl and beat just until combined. Do not beat to froth.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats a spoon and registers 160F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.

Pour through the fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in cream. Cover bowl and refrigerate the custard overnight.

The next day, churn the custard in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold the Recchiuti Brownie chunks into the ice cream by hand. Garnish individual servings with Burnt Caramel Sauce.

This is a variation on a recipe in Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor, by Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage.