Brown Butter Pecan Custard Ice Cream
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
A richer version of our classic custard: toasted pecans are steeped in the dairy, browned butter is whisked in, brown sugar replaces caster sugar and more toasted pecans go in at the end.
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Method
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Equipment
- ice-cream maker
- medium heavy saucepan
- heatproof bowl
- whisk
- silicone spatula
- probe thermometer
- fine sieve
- large bowl of iced water
- freezer container with lid
- light-coloured frying pan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 577 kcal |
| Protein | 7.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.9 g |
| of which sugars | 22.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 18.2 g |
| Fat | 51.6 g |
| of which saturates | 20.9 g |
| Fibre | 2.6 g |
| Salt | 0.47 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 8 servings
Pecans
- 220 g unsalted pecans, divided half steeped and discarded; nutrition counts all
Custard
- 480 ml double cream
- 240 ml whole milk
- 55 g unsalted butter
- 6 large egg yolks
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 1
Toast and steep. Toast half the pecans in a dry pan for about 2 min until slightly darker and nutty, chop them finely and add to the cream and milk heated to steaming. Cover off the heat and steep for 1 h.
- 2
Brown the butter. Melt the butter in the light-coloured frying pan over medium heat and keep cooking, swirling, until it smells nutty and the solids turn golden-brown. Set aside; a pale pan lets you see the colour change.
- 3
Mix the yolks. Whisk the yolks and brown sugar in the clean saucepan.
- 4
Combine. Strain the pecan dairy onto the yolks, pressing on the nuts before discarding them, then whisk in the brown butter.
- 5
Cook. Stir over medium-low heat until the thermometer shows 77-80 °C, then stir in the salt.
- 6
Chill. Sieve again, cool over the iced water and refrigerate for at least 4 h.
- 7
Churn. While it churns, toast and roughly chop the remaining pecans and chill them. Add them in the final minute and freeze for at least 4 h.
Storage
Freeze in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.
