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4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken, 3 or 4 minutes. Do not let it boil.

5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and Scotch.

6. Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into seven 4- to 6-ounce ramekins. Teacups are another option, and cute. Chill for at least 4 hours until firm and cold.

Makes 3½ cups, to serve 7

VANILLA PUDDING

Replace the brown sugar with granulated sugar and omit the Scotch or bourbon.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Serve this rich pudding as soon as it’s cold. After a day or two, it starts to weep and loses appeal.

Make it or buy it? Make it.

Hassle: Foolproof

Cost comparison: Cheap! This costs about half what you’ll pay for Hunt’s Snack Pack or Kozy Shack from the tub.

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2¼ cups milk (whole is best, as usual)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the milk.

2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. It will start out looking like scummy hot chocolate, after which it will look like thin hot chocolate, until suddenly it becomes hot, bubbling, glossy pudding. This is how you know it’s done. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

3. Pour into four serving dishes and cover with plastic wrap. Chill.

4. Serve within a day with whipped cream.

Makes 2½ cups, enough for 4

VANILLA ICE CREAM

The difference between even a premium brand of ice cream and homemade is the difference between the poly-blend sheets you inherited from your grandmother and Pratesi linens. Or how I imagine Pratesi. I know vanilla ice cream sounds boring, but homemade vanilla ice cream is nothing like Edy’s. For a sublime variation, try substituting ½ cup honey for ½ cup of the sugar.

Make it or buy it? Make it.

Hassle: Yes

Cost comparison: If you make this with supermarket vanilla beans, you will be crying foolish tears into your very delicious $25.00-per-quart ice cream. If you make this with affordable vanilla beans, because you shopped online, you’ll be gloating over your $3.50-per-quart ice cream and its beautiful flecks of vanilla seed. If you use homemade vanilla extract, you’ll like your $3.00-per-quart ice cream a lot better than Dreyer’s. Dreyer’s costs $4.32 per quart. Häagen-Dazs: $6.79 per quart. Ben & Jerry’s: $10.50 per quart.

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1. Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the beans into the cream mixture, then drop in the pods. Heat to just below a boil.

2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the hot cream mixture, whisking. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, return it to the heat, and stir constantly until thickened. Do not let it boil.

3. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and chill. (If using vanilla extract, stir it in before you chill the ice cream.)

4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I think ice cream is best when scraped, still slightly soft, out of the machine. But it will keep for about a week in a tightly closed container in the freezer.

Makes 1½ quarts

SORBET

Sorbet is easy and cheap to make at home, but I’ve made mango sorbet and it tasted a lot like Häagen-Dazs—it just required time and effort. When you go to the trouble of making sorbet, you should make a flavor you can’t find at the supermarket. Like pink grapefruit or grape.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT SORBET

You can’t buy anything like this shell pink dessert.

2 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from about 3 large pink grapefruits)

1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest

1 cup sugar

1. Mix everything and chill in the refrigerator until very