Father’s Day Dulce de Leche Pecan Ice Cream

As much as I would have liked my husband to try something “new” for Father’s Day, he wanted our favorite tacos. I used my CSA chard and an entire bunch of local spinach in the filling- SO delicious!! The dessert was a surprise, so I could try a new recipe of a favorite flavor. 🙂

My husband and I were at the Montreal Jazz Festival listening to an outdoor concert the first time we tried Dulce de Leche ice cream. It was a Haagen Dazs version, on a stick. We fell so in love with it that I remember the moment. 🙂

I made this version with lightly toasted pecans to celebrate Father’s Day this year. I had made a gelato version in the past that required making homemade dulce de leche– this seemed like such a (wonderful!) shortcut version to incorporate store-bought dulce de leche into a custard base. It was really creamy and delicious. I ran out of time to make pizzelles and served it in waffle bowls instead!

This recipe was adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste. Happy Belated Father’s Day to all of the Fathers and Grandfathers!  🙂

• 1 pint (2 cups) whole milk, plus 2 tablespoons, separated
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
• 8 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 13.4 oz cans Nestle LaLechera Dulce de Leche Caramel
• 1 cup raw pecan halves
• freshly ground pepper, optional

1. In a small sauce pan, heat one pint of milk and cream over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium stainless-steel bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar; then stir in warm milk mixture.
3. Return the custard mixture to the small sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 170 degrees F, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Immediately remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. (While the custard is re-heating, I clean the original bowl and re-use it.)
5. Using a whisk, stir 1 can plus about 1/4 of the additional can of Dulce de Leche into the warm custard. 
6. Once incorporated, set bowl over an ice bath. Stir occasionally until cooled.
7. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard, and let cool completely in the refrigerator, chill minimally 1 hour to overnight.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water and season with freshly ground pepper, if using.
9. Roast until just toasted, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop. Set aside.
10. Churn chilled dulce de leche custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
11. Fold in toasted pecans.
12. In a small bowl, whisk remaining dulce de leche with 2 tablespoons of milk to loosen, then fold into ice cream; dulce de leche should be mixed in just enough to form a marbled effect.
13. Place in an air-tight, freezer-proof container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly to the surface of the custard. Freeze until firm, a minimum of 4 hours to overnight. Let come to room temperature for 10 minutes prior to serving.

One Year Ago:

• Father’s Day Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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