Butter Pecan Ice Cream
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An ice cream loving friend was in town this weekend, giving me the perfect excuse to make this batch of butter pecan ice cream. Butter pecan is one of my all time favorite flavors. In this recipe the butter flavor comes in the custard base, achieved by browning the butter first before adding the other ingredients.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans
Special equipment needed
An ice cream maker
Method
1 In a medium sized heat-safe bowl (metal, ceramic, or glass), whisk together the egg yolks until well blended. Set aside.
2 Pour the cream into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and set a medium-mesh sieve on top. Set aside.
3 In a medium thick-bottomed saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter cook it, stirring constantly, until it just begins to brown. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar completely melts.
4 Slowly add the milk, stirring to incorporate. It will foam up initially, so make sure you are using a pan with high enough sides. Heat until all of the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not let boil or the mixture may curdle.
5 Whisk in hand, slowly pour half of the milk and sugar mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to incorporate. Then add the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk sugar mixture.
6 Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, about 5-7 minutes.
7 Pour the custard through the sieve and stir it into the cream. Add vanilla and stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
8 While the mixture is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay out the pecans on a roasting pan in a single layer. Bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Let cool. Once cool, roughly chop the pecans and set aside. Note, if you want an extra punch to this ice cream, brush the pecans with melted butter and sprinkle with salt before roasting.
9 Once the ice cream mixture is thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
10 Once the ice cream has been formed in the ice cream maker, it will be fairly soft. Fold in the chopped pecans. Put in an airtight plastic container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts.
Links:
Buttered Pecan Ice Cream from Alanna of Kitchen Parade
Caramel Chocolate Pecan Ice Cream from Adam, the Amateur Gourmet
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Ah, Elise, this looks just perfect. FYI I have great luck with "good salt" (fleur de sel or Maldon, even a mild kosher such as Diamond, anything other than table salt) for the pecans. Something magical happens to little bits of buttery salty pecans tucked amid the creamy custard. (Off to fetch the ice cream maker from the basement ... )