It is never too cold for ice cream and as you must know, I am an ice cream addict. So naturally, when the craving (or the demand from the family) strikes, I set to the task of churning some ice cream.
Normally this is an easy feat, however, this time around making this butter pecan ice cream turned out to be a real nightmare. This primarily stemmed from the fact that I was also making a mini chocolate sheet cake at the same time. And for once, when I wanted cold weather, I was presented with terrible (for me) warm weather. Which meant that the ice cream churn bowl I set outside the night before, did not freeze properly because the temperature sat at – 1 the entire night.
But the nightmare doesn’t end there! I thought that maybe because the ice cream mixture itself was very cold, and the bowl was decently frozen, I could churn my ice cream properly. However, that proved to be wishful thinking. Unfortunately for me, the ice cream did churn, but not enough. The end result left me with ice cream that was icy instead of smooth and creamy.
To rectify this mistake, I had to set my ice cream back in the fridge to melt completely, and re-churn it the next day. What was supposed to be at most a 24 hour experienced, turned into a 48 ordeal. However, I learned my lesson! Luckily I managed to salvage the ice cream, and it turned out deliciously smooth and creamy (despite taking 48 hours to make). In the end, I now know that I should only put the ice cream churn bowl outside if the temperature is below -4 degrees Celcius. You live and you learn though! 😛
In the end, my butter pecan ice cream is the bomb.com. seriously! It is tasty, nutty, smooth, with undertones of butter and caramel. And a crunch that comes from toasted pecans. This butter pecan ice cream recipe is one you’ll want to use over and over again because it is that good!
SWEET, CREAMY AND DELICIOUSLY NUTTY ICE CREAM
Butter pecan ice cream is my dad’s favourite ice cream in the world. That, and pralienes and cream. Because he is diabetic, he can’t always indulge in store-bought ice cream because of the amount of sugar added. Luckily he is blessed with a daughter that is incredibly talented 😉
For my butter pecan ice cream, I add 1 cup of sugar, which is more than the base amount of sugar I add to all my other ice cream. Should you want it less sweet (and perhaps the next time I make it, I will reduce it), you can add 2/3 cups. Another unique aspect of my butter pecan ice cream is that I add real butter to this mixture. This may sound odd but trust me – it is SUPER tasty. The butter (which I actually brown to bring out the toffee flavour), adds a rich and creamy profile to the ice cream.
And finally, you will notice that I used 3 egg yolks instead of my normal 4. That is because while making this semi-disastrous ice cream, one of the yolks mixed with the egg whites and I realized I wasn’t going to go and grab another egg yolk. Luckily it still turned out great! 🙂
BROWN BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM
Sweetened pecans tossed into a buttery mixture of cream and sugar. The perfect type of ice cream!
Brown Butter Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Deliciously buttery ice cream topped with crunchy pecans!
Ingredients
- 2 cups full cream (35%)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 butter
- 1/2 cup crushed pecans
Instructions
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In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring 1 cup full cream, 1 cup whole milk and brown sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, place a small saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Constantly stir the butter till it foams, and develops a brown colour and a nutty/toffee aroma. Bring it immediately off heat. Add the butter to the milk mixture.
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Bring the saucepan back on medium heat, mix in the egg yolks with your spatula. Continue to stir the mixture until the egg yolks are fully incorporated and the custard coats the back of the spatula (around 10 minutes).
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Place the remaining cup of full cream into a large bowl and place a sieve on top. Strain the custard mixture into the bowl of full cream. Place your ice cream in an ice bath to cool (or on your countertop), before covering and placing it in your fridge to cool completely (6 hours - overnight).
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Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place in a freezer-safe container. Allow to set for 4 hours before serving.
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THIS BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM IS INCREDIBLY CREAMY, BUTTERY, RICH AND NUTTY. THE ADDITION OF LIGHTLY TOASTED PECANS AND BROWN BUTTER TURN THIS ICE CREAM FROM ORDINARY TO COMPLEX AND DELICIOUS!
