Rich and earthy, with a haunting flavor that comes from steeping toasted walnuts in cream before making your custard, this makes a very elegant finish to a meal (and it’s good straight from the freezer at midnight, too).

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quart

　　3 cups heavy cream

　　2 cups milk

　　1 teaspoon Kosher salt

　　1 pound shelled walnuts

　　8 large fresh egg yolks, at room temperature

　　1 cup sugar

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat the cream, milk, and salt in a large saucepan over low heat.

　　

Step 3

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. As you pull the nuts out of the oven, turn the heat under the cream-milk mixture to high and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the nuts while they are still warm. Allow the walnuts to steep in the cream and milk for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best flavor. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and discard the nuts. Place the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl.

　　

Step 4

Add the sugar to the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the boiling mixture to the egg yolks and whisk furiously. Add another 1/2 cup, whisk, then add all of the cream mixture to the yolks and whisk until completely combined and smooth.

　　

Step 5

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

　　Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen