Instructions: Note: Use this classic to fill layers of ladyfingers or sliced chocolate sponge cake, or serve it in goblets alone as a dessert topped with a few fresh raspberries.

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small saucepan and set aside for two or three minutes to soften. Stir over low heat just until gelatin is completely dissolved; dont boil. Rub a drop between your fingers to test for smoothness.

Combine milk and vanilla bean in 3-quart saucepan. Transfer about 1 tablespoon of the milk into a teacup and stir with cornstarch until dissolved; set it aside. Heat milk until scalding, but dont allow to boil. Remove from heat and let cool about five minutes. Lift out vanilla bean. Scrape seeds out into milk, then discard bean or add to canister of granulated sugar for flavor.

If you are using vanilla extract instead, dont add yet.

While milk is heating, combine yolks and sugar in large bowl and beat with electric mixer until mixture is light and thick and forms a flat ribbon falling back on itself when beater is lifted. Whip cornstarch mixture into yolks. Remove bowl from mixer if used.

Pour about a cup of milk into yolk foam while hand whisking it vigorously so the yolks dont cook. Return all warm yolk mixture to milk in saucepan and whisk over moderate heat seven to eight minutes or until custard is thick enough to generously coat back of spoon. (You should be able to draw a line through the coating with your fingertip and leave a mark that doesnt close up.) Strain custard into a metal bowl. Check gelatin; if it has begun to thicken, stir over low heat a few seconds until liquefied and smooth.

Whisk gelatin into strained custard along with vanilla extract, if using instead of vanilla bean.

To thicken for filling at this point, you can refrigerate it for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then until it is like a pudding. To speed the process, set the bowl into a bowl of ice water and stir off and on for about 14 minutes. Remove pan from ice bath before custard sets hard. If it sets too hard, stir it over a pan of very warm water just until soft and smooth.

Using chilled bowl and chilled beater, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form, then fold it into the chilled and thickened custard. Pour custard into a bowl or individual dessert dishes and refrigerate at least three hours or overnight, to set, before serving plain or spreading between cake layers. Chill filled cake before serving and refrigerate leftovers.

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