Ingredients

• 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar such as Sugar in the Raw
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 pound bing cherries (1 1/2 cups; do not substitute frozen), pitted
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• an ice cream maker

Instructions

1. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a paring knife into a small heavy saucepan. Add milk and a pinch of salt and bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and cornstarch, then add 1/2 cup hot milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk into milk in saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking, then simmer, whisking, 3 minutes. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl set in an ice bath. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from ice bath and chill, covered, 1 hour.
4. Prepare cherries: Pulse cherries, sugar, and extracts in a food processor until finely chopped, then chill, covered, 1 hour.
5. Pulse cherries, sugar, and extracts in a food processor until finely chopped, then chill, covered, 1 hour.
6. Make ice cream: Stir cherries with their juices into gelato mixture and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.
7. Stir cherries with their juices into gelato mixture and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.