Browned Butter Pecan Ice Cream

It is a better-than-classic butter pecan ice cream, made with browned butter, brown sugar, and roasted pecans. It was creamy and rich, with a perfect, deep butter flavor. The flavor is rich, deeply nutty.  Makes about 1 quart (I doubled the recipe).

    1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

    2 cups whole milk

    1/2 cup heavy cream

    2/3 cup packed brown sugar

    2 tablespoons tapioca syrup or light corn syrup

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tapioca starch or cornstarch

    2 tablespoons sour cream

    1/2 cup to 1 cup roasted pecans or pecan pieces

If you have a cylinder-type ice cream maker, have the cylinder completely frozen.

Brown the butter in a medium or large saucepan, and reserve the clarified butter for another use. Keep the solids in the saucepan. (I found the easiest way to do this was to pour the browned butter into a clear glass 2-cup measure, let it settle a bit, pour off the clarified butter, and return the solids to the pan.)

Combine the starch with 2 tablespoons of the milk in a little prep bowl and place nearby.

Add the rest of the milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and syrup to the solids in the saucepan.

Bring to a boil and boil, stirring, for exactly 4 minutes. Whisk in the starch-milk slurry, and continue cooking over low heat for just a moment, until the mixture no longer tastes of raw starch.

   

Remove from heat, and whisk in the sour cream. Let the mixture cool, then chill. (An ice bath will speed this up!) Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Pack into a container, adding the pecans, and put it in the freezer for a few hours, or until it has hardened enough to scoop.

Ginger Custard Ice Cream

A very refreshing ice cream.

1/2 lb fresh ginger, peeled and sliced paper-thin
2 cups water
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 envelope plain unflavored gelatin
2 cups milk, chilled
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated, at room temp
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan, bring the ginger and water to a simmer over low heat. Cook, covered, until the ginger is quite soft, about an hour. You may need to add more water. Process the ginger and cooking liquid in a blender until smooth.

Return the ginger puree to the saucepan. Gently cook until it reduces to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the sugar and cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is quite thick, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of the cold milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In heavy saucepan, combine remaining 1-3/4 cups milk, 1-1/2 cups sugar, and salt. Bring just to a low simmer. 

Beat the egg whites just until stiff peaks form.

Whisk yolks until thickened and pale yellow. Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture. Return to the saucepan and whisk in the egg whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees on the thermometer. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture. Whisk until dissolved. Whisk in reserved ginger jam. Using a wooden spoon, rub the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer to remove the ginger fibers. Stir in half and half.

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk this into ginger custard. Chill at lest 4 hours. Freeze according to you ice cream maker's directions.

Brandy Ice

Another outstanding, easy dessert, made completely ahead of time.

Fudge ripple ice cream
Brandy
Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies, optional

In blender (making small amounts at a time) place 2-3 scoops of ice cream. Add enough brandy to make it runny, yet still ice cream. If you use too much brandy, it is overpowering. Pour into long stemmed red wine glasses (bowl type, if you have them), and immediately put in the freezer. Repeat his process as much as you need. You very well may want more than one recipe for each serving (or use smaller bowl wine glasses). The ice cream reduces in volume when blended with brandy.

When ready to serve, remove from freezer, holding on to the stems of the glasses only. Do not touch the bowl of the glass. The glass will frost over when exposed to the room temperature. Looks fantastic!

Place two Pirouette Cookies (one on each side) on the ice cream and serve.

Ice Cream Balls with Hot Fudge Sauce

Pour this over big vanilla ice cream balls that have been rolled in chopped pecans. Oh yum!

2-1/4  cups  powdered sugar
1/2  cup  butter
2  squares  baking chocolate
1  small  can  (5 oz)  evaporated milk

Put all the ingredients in the top of a double boiler (bottom pan filled with several inches of water). When the water below boils, and the chocolate and butter in the top unit melts, stir just once. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Beat vigorously with electric mixer. Serve hot over ice cream balls, rolled in toasted pecans.

Ice Cream Balls: 
Scoop vanilla ice cream into large balls. Working quickly with your hands, mold them into round balls. Roll in toasted pecans. Wrap in waxed paper and freeze until using.

Toasted Pecans:
Spread some chopped pecans (small cut) in a flat baking pan, with about 1 Tbs melted butter. Toss to coat. Place in 250-degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning. Do not let them get too brown.

5-Star Vanilla Ice Cream

We love homemade ice cream. I bought a new White Mountain ice cream maker, and put this recipe to the test. I read that if you use ice chips, rather than cubes, it makes a smoother ice cream. Also, the longer you churn it, the smoother it will be. My old ice cream maker wouldn't churn it longer, as the motor was not as strong. These tips are both tried and true, as I made two batches . . . one in each freezer. The one in the stronger freezer was noticeably smoother. This is the recipe I used in both freezers.


6  egg yolks, lightly beaten
2-1/3  cups  sugar
4  cups  whole milk
2  cups  half & half
3  cups  heavy cream
1/4  tsp  salt
2  Tbs  vanilla

Combine the first three ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Cover and chill overnight.

Stir in the two creams, salt, and vanilla. Pour into the freezer container of 5-quart ice cream freezer. Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.

Remove the dasher as soon as the custard is churned. We like to eat it right away, as a soft serve type ice cream. But if you want it firmer, transfer it to a large plastic container and put into the freezer. I use a recycled ice cream tub, the kind with a handle on it.

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

This goes great with my Italian Lemon Cake.


1/4  cup  fresh lemon zest, finely grated
2/3  cup  fresh lemon juice
2  cups  sugar
3  cups  heavy cream (very cold)
1  cup  whole milk (very cold)
1/4  tsp  salt

In a saucepan, whisk together zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook mixture, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved (about 10 min.). Cool to room temperature. Strain out the lemon peel, if desired, as sometimes it doesn't incorporate well into the ice cream when freezing. I have had mixed luck with it.

Whisk cream, milk, and salt. Stir in lemon syrup. Freeze in your ice cream maker.

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

The first time I made this was up in Wisconsin. It is labor intensive to stir this mixture for the length of time required, so I pulled up a bar stool and got comfortable. Ten-year-old Bradley felt sorry for me, and pulled up a stool joining me at the stove. When it was time to actually freeze the custard, I asked Brad to join in. When the paddle was removed from the frozen ice cream, I gave it to Brad to lick. His eyes sunk back into his head when he tasted it. 
There is just nothing like freshly made frozen custard.


1  cup  whole milk
1  cup  half & half
6   egg yolks
3/4  cup  sugar
1/4  tsp   salt (scant)
1-1/2  tsp  vanilla
2  cups  heavy cream

Scald milk and light cream (do not boil). Beat the egg yolks, mixed with sugar and salt. Gradually add scaled milk mixture. Cook on top of a double boiler stirring constantly, until thick and mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. This takes quite awhile, about 40 minutes or so. 


Pour into a bowl and add vanilla. Cool. Whip the heavy cream until thick, but not in stiff peaks. Fold into cooled custard. Chill at least 5 hours. Freeze in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer’s directions.

It is suggested not double ice cream recipes. Make two separate batches, if needed (I admit that I have doubled it with success).

Homemade ice cream tastes the very best when it is eaten freshly made, not ripened in the ice cream maker or freezer, as the manufacturer suggests. But understand that it melts very quickly this way, so dig in fast.

Baked Bananas

Bananas must not be overly ripe, or you will end up with banana mush. Serve over ice cream.


4  large  bananas, peeled, cut in half length-wise
6  Tbs  apricot or peach preserves
2  Tbs  rum or brandy
1/4  cup  chopped fresh mint
2  tsp  grated lemon zest
4  tsp  butter

Place two banana halves on a piece of foil large enough to wrap them up in.  (Four pieces of foil) Mix the preserves and rum (brandy) together. Spoon over bananas; sprinkle with mint and lemon zest. Dot with butter.

Wrap up and bake @400° for 10 minutes.