My parents were pretty strict with desserts. I wasn’t completely deprived, but sweets were few and far between. (I’ve since made up for lost time.) One treat they did keep on hand was a bag of store-bought pecan shortbreads, which were quite thick, had a sandy texture, and seemed a bit more sophisticated and “adult” than most other supermarket snacks. Whenever these cookies were in the house, I ate as many as I could and left a seriously plundered bag for my parents to discover. Times have changed and I’m sure the quantity of pecans in those cookies has dwindled since the good ol’ days. Now that I’m all grown up, I can enjoy pecans in any way I choose, and that doesn’t mean just pecan shortbread, but also this rich pecan-studded ice cream.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar

　　3/4 cup (170 g) packed dark brown sugar

　　4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces

　　1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) heavy cream

　　3/4 cup (180 ml) half-and-half or whole milk

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　6 large egg yolks

　　1 1/2 cups (150 g) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

　　

Step 1

To make the butterscotch mixture, spread the granulated sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat without stirring until the sugar begins to melt around the edges. Using a heatproof utensil, slowly drag the liquified sugar to the center and stir gently until all the sugar is melted. Continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until the caramel turns dark amber in color and begins to foam a bit. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the brown sugar, butter, the 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream, the half-and-half or milk, and salt. The mixture will steam and bubble up vigorously, then the bubling will subside.

　　

Step 2

Pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer across the top.

　　

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm butterscotch mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the cream.

　　

Step 4

Set the bowl containing the custard over a larger bowl of ice water. Stir the custard until cool, then coverand refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 5

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stir the pecans into the just-churned ice cream when you remove it from the ice cream machine.

　　

Variation

Step 6

Use 1 1/2 cups (150 g) of Spiced Candied Pecans (page 224) in place of the plain pecans.

　　

tip

Step 7

Because brown sugar is acidic, the mixture can look curdled during the custard-making process. Not to worry; it’ll smooth out during cooking.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Before preparing this recipe, see Caramelization Guidelines, page 265.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.