Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes spongy.

In a saucepan, combine the whole milk with half of the sugar (1/4 cup) and the seeds from the vanilla bean (and the pod itself). Heat over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks until pale and slightly thick (about 2 minutes). Slowly add half of the hot milk mix to the egg yolks while whisking continuously to temper them.

Return this mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for about 7-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove the vanilla pod and any solids. Stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm custard until fully dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.

In a clean bowl, whip your heavy cream until it reaches soft peaks.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard in two additions, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Transfer to your desired mold or serving dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until set.