Heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to steam. Avoid bringing it to a boil, as this can cause the milk to scald.

Gradually pour in all of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks - while whisking continuously, and then pour this mixture back into the saucepan.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of the spoon and registers about 170 °F (77 °C) on an instant-read thermometer. This will take about 3-7 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture. The coagulation temperature is about 180 °F (82 °C), so keep an eye on it. My mixture had some tiny eggy bits, but they were removed when straining later on.

Pour the heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Set a fine-mesh sieve over the mixing bowl.

Strain the ice cream into the heavy cream. This will do away with any eggy bits.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Refrigerate the mixture for 8 hours or overnight so that it’s thoroughly chilled.

Place a small plate in the freezer before you start cooking.

Bring to a boil over medium-heat high while stirring frequently. This took me about 8-10 minutes. If you don't want large chunks or cherries in your preserves, use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to smash some of the cherries a bit as it cooks. If making the maple syrup or honey version, carefully taste (it'll be hot!) and add more sweetener, if needed.

Turn the heat to the lowest you can to keep it at a boil. Let it boil for about 10-20 minutes, turning the heat down, if needed, towards the end to prevent the cherries from burning, until the sugar version reaches a temperature of 220 °F (104 °C) or the honey or maple syrup version reach 227 °F (108 °C). It’ll still be a bit runny but will thicken as it cools and more as it’s chilled.

When you think the preserves are ready, drop a small spoonful onto the cold plate and let it sit for a minute. Push it with your finger - if it wrinkles and holds its shape, the preserves are done.

When it’s done, stir in the vanilla and almond extract.

Remove the saucepan to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. It can be refrigerated for up to 2-4 weeks, but I like to freeze what I don't use after 1 week to be on the safe side.

It should be chilled for a few hours before adding to the ice cream.

Pour the chill ice cream base into the totally frozen ice cream bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will be like soft-serve straight from the machine.

Transfer about half of the mixture to a freezer-safe container.

Top with about half of the cherry preserves and use a skewer to swirl the ice cream.

Top with the rest of the ice cream and swirl again.

Top with the rest of the preserves, and freeze for 4-8+ hours to help it firm up. I could still easily scoop it after it had been in the freezer overnight.

Can be frozen for up to 3 months.