Homemade Maple Pecan Ice Cream Food

MAPLE PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl about ⅓ of the way with cold water and add ice cubes. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts in size) in the ice bath. Pour heavy cream into nested metal bowl. Place a fine mesh strainer over cream. Set aside. Heat milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steam begins to rise from the surface, about 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth. When milk mixture is steaming, slowly pour ¼ cup of milk into the yolk while whisking constantly. Pour egg mixture into saucepan with rest of the milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens and coats back of the spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. To test, run your finger on the back of a spoon coated with the milk. It should leave a clean path. Pour the thickened milk mixture through the fine mesh strainer. Add maple syrup and sea salt. Whisk to combine until custard is cooled by the ice bath. Remove and cover bowl. Chill in the fridge until completely cooled, at least 4 hours. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When ice cream is just about done, add pecans and stir to combine. Transfer to a large container and place a layer of plastic wrap directly on surface of ice cream to prevent ice crystal from forming. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

HOMEMADE MAPLE PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Using a frying pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat and then add the chopped pecans. Add the honey and cook until the nuts are very slightly browned, 3 - 5 minutes. Be very careful not to overcook the nuts because they can go from perfect to burnt in less than a minute. (Note: these nuts are also a delicious replacement for the plain pecans used in this chocolate Powerball recipe...just add two teaspoons of water instead of using the peanut butter.)
• While the nuts are cooking stir together all three ingredients for the ice cream. Turn on your ice cream maker and then pour the milk mixture into the machine.
• When the ice cream is almost all the way thickened add the nuts...serve immediately and enjoy!

MAPLE BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Toast pecans in butter, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes, sprink with salt to taste. Cool pecans and chill in a sealable bag or bowl. Pecans can be made up to 3 days in advance.
• In heavy sauce pan bring cream, half and half (or milk), maple syrup and salt just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
• In a bowl beat yolks until smooth. Add hot cream in a very slow stream, whisking (pour slowly over yolks so as not to scramble the eggs, this is important), and pour back into pan.
• Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thermometer reaches 170 degrees F. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Stir in extract, cover bowl.
• Chill custard at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 1 day.
• Freeze custard according to your ice cream maker directions, adding pecans during the last few minutes of the cycle. Transfer chilled ice cream to an airtight container (I put in a sealable bowl, and cut parchment paper to fit directly on top of the ice cream), freeze until harden about 2 hours.
• As you eat ice cream up, cover exposed areas with parchment to prevent freezer burn. Ice cream will keep for about 1 week.

SALTED PECAN-MAPLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place pecans into a heavy saucepan over medium heat and toast the nuts, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over pecans and stir constantly until the sugar melts to a light brown syrup and coats the pecans. Immediately pull the pan off the heat; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
• Turn hot pecans out onto a piece of parchment paper and cool thoroughly; break apart any large clumps. Set candied pecans aside.
• Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple flavoring in a large bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in half-and-half.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Mix the candied pecans into the softly-frozen ice cream. Sprinkle servings with a pinch of coarsely ground sea salt.

PECAN VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH MAPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (80 degrees C /Gas 4). Mix the icing sugar with the pecans on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little water to make a thick-ish paste.
• Bake in the oven for a few minutes or until toasted and caramelized. Scoop out the ice cream into 4 glasses or bowls and sprinkle over the whole pecans then drizzle with a good glug of maple syrup.

MAPLE BUTTER-PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Coarsely chop pecans. In a skillet melt butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Toast pecans in butter, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Cool pecans and chill in a sealable plastic bag. Buttered pecans may be made 3 days ahead and chilled.
• In a heavy saucepan bring cream, milk, maple syrup, and salt just to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a bowl beat yolks until smooth. Add hot cream mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170° F. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Stir in extract. Chill custard, its surface covered with plastic wrap, at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 1 day.
• Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer ice cream to a bowl and fold in chilled pecans. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.