BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN ICE CREAM WITH PEACH PECAN BARS
I’m glad I didn’t skip the first week of Sunday Slow Scoopers, because this ice cream was wonderful! Very rich, great butterscotch flavor, and salty pecans. What a combination. And when Deborah said that she was going to try to make an accompaniment to go with the ice cream each week, I decided that was a great idea. (At least this week-not sure I can keep that up every week!). So to accompany the Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream, I chose Peach Pecan Bars. I’m not sure where this recipe came from. I had printed it off, so it likely came from Epicurious. The title was Apricot Walnut Bars, but I decided to make a few substitutions. These were quick bars to make, with a nice buttery crust and the crunch of pecans on top. I would suggest making the ice cream, the bars, or both! They were both very easy to make.
Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream Makes about 1 1/4 quarts
5 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Scotch whiskey
Buttered Pecans (see recipe below), coarsely chopped
Melt butter in medium saucepan, then stir in the brown sugar and salt until well moistened. Whisk in 1 cup of the cream and milk.
Warm this mixture on the stove over med heat. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour warm brown sugar mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour mixture through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Add the vanilla and scotch , then stir until cool over ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refridgerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the Buttered Pecans.
Buttered Pecans
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/4 tsp coarse salt
Preheat over to 350F(175C). Melt butter in skillet. Toss pecans until well coated, then sprinkle with salt. Spread evenly on baking sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes, stirring once during baking.
PEACH PECAN BARS
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peach preserves
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9″ square baking pan and line with 1 sheet of foil, leaving a 2″ overhand on 2 opposite sides, then butter foil.
Pulse flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles course meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add yolks and vanilla and pulse just until clumps of dough form, about 30 seconds.
Press three fourths of dough evenly onto bottom of pan, then spread with peach preserves. Crumble remaining dough over preserves and sprinkle evenly with pecans.
Bake until top is golden brown and preserves are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack. Lift from pan by grasping both ends of foil. Cut into 32 bars and lift bars off foil with spatula.