I used to cringe every time someone would start a sentence with, “When I was your age…,” knowing that I was in for a lecture, heavy with nostalgia for days gone by. Nowadays, though, I find I’m doing the same a little too often for comfort. But it’s true, when I was younger (perhaps your age), my local ice cream parlor would serve, alongside their gloriously overloaded ice cream sundaes, little paper cups filled way up to the brim with buttered pecans roasted in real, honest-to-goodness butter, for just five cents. Five cents! Yikes! I think I’m becoming my parents.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/2 cups (175 g)

　　1 1/2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, salted or unsalted

　　1 1/2 cups (150 g) pecan halves

　　1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

　　

Step 2

Melt the butter in a skillet. Remove from the heat and toss the pecans with the melted butter until well coated, then sprinkle with the salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once during baking.

　　

Step 3

Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

　　

Mixing Them In

Step 4

Chop the Buttered Pecans coarsely, then add them to them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning, or sprinkle them over when serving ice cream.

　　

Storage

Step 5

Buttered Pecans can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

　　

In a Hurry? Cheat.

Step 6

If you don’t have time to make your own ice cream, take a pint of your favorite store-bought premium vanilla ice cream and soften it in an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment.

　　

Step 7

Once it’s softened slightly, add whatever flavorings you want. You can add mint or citrus oil (start with 1/8 teaspoon per pint, then taste and add more if desired), a favorite liqueur (1 to 2 tablespoons per pint), or any of the crunchy mix-ins in this chapter. Return the ice cream to the freezer and chill firmly before you serve it.

　　

Another tip

Step 8

To make instant crème anglaise, melt down some premium vanilla ice cream. Voila!

　　The Perfect Scoop