Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Making homemade ice cream during the Christmas holiday is a tradition in our family. This year we tried a Butter-Pecan recipe - from the Better Homes and Gardens: Test Kitchen book - for a change from plain vanilla.  I must say, you just can't buy ice cream like this, not even with today's gourmet brands.  Try it and you'll see what I mean...

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups half-and-half (or light cream)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 cups whipping cream









1.  In a heavy 8-inch skillet, combine pecans, granulated sugar and butter.

Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until sugar melts and turns a rich brown colour.

Remove from heat and spread nuts on a buttered baking sheet or foil; separate into clusters and cool.  Break clusters into small chunks.

In a large bowl, combine light cream, brown sugar, and vanilla; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the whipping cream.  Pour cream mixture into a  4- to 5-quart ice cream mixer and blend/freeze according to manufacturer's directions. 

Then, stir in pecan mixture.* Ripen 4 hours (if you can resist that long!)

*Note: Stirring the pecan mixture into the thickened ice cream mixture just before ripening prevents the nuts from wrapping around the paddle.