Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Toast the pecans
- Melt the unsalted butter with the salt in a skillet over medium heat, then add pecan halves and toast for 4-5 minutes until deeply golden and fragrant, stirring often. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet and cool completely.
Cook the custard base
- Heat heavy cream, whole milk, and packed brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams. Keep it hot but not boiling.
- Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then slowly whisk them into the hot cream mixture. Return everything to the saucepan and cook to 175°F while stirring constantly until the custard thickens.
Chill the base
- Strain the custard, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining salt (1/4 tsp). Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Churn and freeze
- Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add the butter-toasted pecans in the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm.
Notes
For the silkiest custard, cook only until it reaches 175°F and stir continuously to prevent scrambling; chill until fully cold before churning. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks for best texture (ice crystals may form after that). Freezing is yes—let it sit 5 minutes at room temperature before scooping. If you want a slightly lighter option, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream (texture will be softer but still creamy).