Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a medium heat-safe bowl, whether metal, ceramic, or glass, whisk the egg yolks until they are smooth and fully combined. Put the bowl aside.
2. Pour the cream into a metal bowl, then nestle that bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice. Place a medium-mesh sieve over the cream bowl and set this aside too.
3. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring the whole time, just until the butter starts to brown.
4. Stir in the brown sugar and salt, and keep stirring until the sugar has fully melted.
5. Add the milk gradually, stirring as you go to bring everything together. The mixture will bubble up at first, so the saucepan needs to have high sides. Warm it only until the sugar has dissolved completely. Do not allow it to boil, because the mixture can curdle.
6. With one hand whisking the egg yolks, slowly stream in half of the warm milk and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and sugar mixture.
7. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with either a wooden spatula or a heatproof rubber one, sweeping along the bottom of the pan as you stir, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula, about 5-7 minutes.
8. Pour the custard through the sieve into the cream, then stir to combine. Add the vanilla and keep stirring over the ice bath until the mixture is cool.
9. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
10. While the base chills, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter, then toss it with the pecans and a pinch of salt.
11. Scatter the pecans across a rimmed baking sheet. Give them 10 minutes in the 350 degrees F oven, stopping when they are lightly toasted. Leave them to cool.
12. When the pecans are cool, chop them roughly and set them aside.
13. After the ice cream base has thoroughly chilled, churn it in your ice cream maker following the directions from the manufacturer.
14. When the ice cream has formed in the machine, it will still be quite soft. Fold in the chopped pecans.
15. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight plastic container and put it in the freezer. Freeze it for at least an hour; several hours is preferable. If the ice cream has spent longer than a day in the freezer, a few minutes at room temperature may be needed before serving so it softens.