Coming in on a Thursday so I can catch you before the long holiday weekend and inspire you to make ice cream.
Thanks to Jenni of the blog Pastry Chef Online, I started making no-churn ice cream a few years ago and I love it! Comes together so quickly and doesn’t require me to pull out my ice cream maker.
My first posted recipe was this apricot jam ice cream. Even my non-dessert loving friend requests this! And since it is apricot season, may I suggest you make some of these apricot preserves? It’s what I use in the ice cream though other preserves can work as well.
Last year I asked my followers what new ice cream flavors they wanted and one of the top requests was butter pecan. Well it’s taken many iterations and I could keep tweaking forever, but I’ve landed on a pretty great version. So for you, my loyal subscribers, I am going to share the recipe in the newsletter today, even before it makes it to the blog.
I tested the pecans so many different ways - all of them worked and tasted good but my favorite variation is with date syrup. If you don’t have date syrup in the house, I’m going to implore you to get some! (available at your local Middle Eastern market or online) You can read all about date syrup on my other substack newsletter Sumac & Sunshine.
Butter Pecan No-churn Ice Cream
Sneak Peek!
For the candied/butter pecans:
1 cup pecans
2 tablespoons date syrup (or maple)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons bourbon
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the date syrup, brown sugar, melted (and slightly cooled) butter, bourbon and salt in a bowl big enough to fit the pecans. Whisk the ingredients until well combined then add the pecans and stir to coat the nuts.
On a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, add the pecans and spread out into one layer. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Check at 13 minutes - the glaze should be bubbling vigorously. I found the pecans were great at 13 minutes and 17 minutes - the key is not to burn them (of course). Every oven is different so start looking at 13 minutes and stay close by if you leave them in longer. Remove from the oven and let them cool while you make the ice cream.
A note about the pecans - they don’t get super crispy using the date syrup BUT they are plenty crispy in the ice cream. And the flavor is so dang good, I’m willing to give up the super crunchy texture for the super delicious taste profile.
For the ice cream:
1 can sweetened condensed milk MINUS 4 tablespoons
2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons brown butter in liquid state (optional but recommended)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, brown butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
Use your whisk attachment and whip on about medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture is nice and thick but nowhere near soft peaks. The whisk should leave tracks in your cream, and the cream should mound just a little in the bowl before sinking back in somewhat. The visual cues are tracks and mounding.
Add the cooled pecans into the mixture and gently combine. A couple notes about the pecans - you can briefly refrigerate or freeze the pecans to accelerate cooling. If they stick together - just pull them apart. Also, I put them in the ice cream batter as whole pieces but you could absolutely cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
Pour the ice cream batter into either a loaf pan or another ice cream type of container. If it’s a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm – at least 6 hours or overnight.
How to make brown butter:
When I told my future co-author and friend Sarene Wallace that I don’t always have brown butter in my refrigerator, she was shocked! It’s so easy to make and the nutty flavor is such a wonderful addition to sweet and savory recipes. So if you’re like Sarene, you don’t need to make brown butter just for this ice cream. But if you’re like me, maybe you do so I’m including the recipe/technique. It’s easy and you can make it ahead of time and just store it in the refrigerator. Pull out a couple tablespoons for the ice cream, melt it and you’re all set!
1 stick unsalted butter
Chop it into pieces and place it in a small light colored frying pan or pot. (light colored like stainless so you can see the color and be sure it’s “brown”). On medium heat, watch the butter melt. Don’t walk away - this is a quick process and it’s both fun and necessary to watch it happen. It will foam up and then the foam will dissipate and it will just be bubbly and then some foam reappears. As this happens, you’ll see the color become golden and then brown. Pull it off immediately and if you want, you can strain it to remove the brown bits and remaining foam but it’s not necessary. Store unused portion in a small container in the refrigerator.
I hope you’ll give no-churn ice cream a try and especially this version if you’re a butter pecan fan. And let me know what you think!
Have any questions about food? I never tire of talking about food so leave a comment below or reply to this email. Happy to help! Have a delicious weekend.
You can also find me:
on Facebook: OMG! Yummy and Sumac & Sunshine
my other newsletter Sumac & Sunshine
A little about me: My blog is my virtual multicultural kitchen featuring Jewish and Hawaiian Korean recipes and my love for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients as seen through my California lens. For more about that California perspective, check out my other substack called Sumac & Sunshine that I co-write with Sarene Wallace.
Love this recipe Beth! I never thought about using date syrup . Excited to make this as it’s going to be in the 00’s here this week.
Date syrup is one of our favorite ingredients. Thanks for highlighting in this fun ice cream recipe!