- 1). Pour milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form.
- 2). Stir the milk to prevent a film from forming. When you stir, the milk should be hot enough to release steam. Then lower the heat to a low setting.
- 3). Add the vanilla extract to the milk and stir with the wooden spoon. If you are using a whole vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds with the knife. Stir the seeds and the pod into the warm milk. The seeds will dissolve.
- 4). Remove the milk from the heat if you are using vanilla extract. You can stir in sugar, butter, or any other flavorings at this point to form a sauce.
- 5). Leave the pot on low heat if using a whole bean. Let it steep for 30 minutes, covered, then scoop out the pod with the spoon. Remove the milk from the heat and add any additional ingredients.
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