Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups pecans – roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cups whole milk
• 0.75 cups granulated sugar
• 0.25 cups light brown sugar
• 6 large egg yolks – lightly beaten
• 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and a shade darker, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to cool completely.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and fine sea salt. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugars dissolve and the mixture is steaming, 3–5 minutes; do not boil.
3. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly ladle about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolks to temper.
4. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula and reaches 170–175°F, 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
6. Cool the custard over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm, 15–20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
7. Stir the chilled custard, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency, 20–25 minutes.
8. Add the cooled pecans during the last 1–2 minutes of churning to distribute evenly.
9. Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container, press parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and cover. Freeze until firm enough to scoop, 4–6 hours.
10. Scoop and serve once set.