Two Words ...

.... Bookstore Pearl ....

... Icy Swirl ...

... Buttery Roast ...

... Warm (as) Toast ...

... Butterscotch Treat ...

Birthday! Sweet!

SB 'celebrated' his birthday yesterday afternoon, while I made him a special batch of Butterscotch Ice Cream with Salted Pecans ... it's a tough life, folks! Recipe follows ...

David Lebovitz’s Butterscotch Ice Cream With Salted Pecans

Yield: 1 ¼ quart

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ c. packed dark brown sugar

½ tsp. Kosher or other coarse salt

2 c. heavy cream

¾ c. whole milk

6 large egg yolks

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. Scotch whiskey (Shoot me, I used bourbon.)

buttered and salted pecans

Making the Ice Cream:

1. Melt the butter in a mid-sized saucepan and stir in the brown sugar until the sugar is well soaked with the butter.
2. Mix the whole milk and heavy cream together in a large measuring cup.
3. Pour one cup of the milk/cream mix into the butter sugar mix and whisk to combine completely.
4. Pour the rest of the cream/milk mix into a large mixing bowl and place a fine strainer over the top of the bowl. Set aside.
5. Heat the butter/sugar/cream mix until the sugar is dissolved and the color is softly golden … over medium heat.
6. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
7. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl … temper them with some of the slightly cooled B/S/C mixture. Then, slowly pour them into the saucepan, whisking briskly as you do so.
8. Return the pan to the stove and bring the heat up under the pan, whisking constantly. As the custard forms and thickens, continue whisking.
9. When the custard is thick and coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and the whiskey.
10. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir the ice cream mixture well
11. Place the bowl over an ice bath and continue stirring to cool the mixture.
12. Process the cooled mixture in your ice cream maker. While the ice cream churns, prepare the roasted pecans.
13. When the motor labours, remove the churning paddles and stir in the cooled pecans.
14. Turn the ice cream into a freezer container and freeze for at least four hours to ‘cure’ the ice cream.

NOTE: Because there is booze in this ice cream, it won’t freeze solid, so you can serve this ice cream right out of the freezer without breaking your arm or the ice cream scoop handle.

Buttered and Salted Pecans

Yield: 1 ½ c. nuts

1 ½ c. pecan halves

1 ½ tbsp. butter, melted

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Toss the nuts, melted butter, and salt together and spread into one layer on a large cookie sheet.
3. Roast for 7 minutes and then turn with a spatula and continue roasting for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove and slide the nuts to a cool plate to cool completely before adding to the ice cream.