Moonshine & Corn Syrup Custard with Pecans Ice Cream
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In this recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts, a super-sweet custard is stirred into a white whiskey-flavored ice cream base and beefed up with salty, toasted pecans. It's dark, it's light, it's sweet; it's everything you could ever want from an ice cream.
Why this recipe works:
Excerpted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts by Jeni Britton Bauer (Artisan Books). Copyright (c) 2014. Photographs by Kelsey McClellan.
Recipe Facts
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup moonshine or white whiskey
- 2/3 cup toasted salted pecan halves
- 1/2 cup Corn Syrup Custard (ingredients below)
- Corn Syrup Custard
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or honey
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup salted toasted pecan halves (optional)
Directions
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Make the custard: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
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Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until slightly frothy. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla and whisk very well to combine. Add the pecans, if using, and stir to coat.
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Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through, until the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly; do not overbake. Let cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate.
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Make the ice cream:Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
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Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
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Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
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Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
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Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
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Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. Stir in the moonshine.
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Remove the frozen canister from the freezer, assemble your ice cream machine, and turn it on. Pour the ice cream base into the canister and spin until thick and creamy.
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Pack the ice cream into a storage container, layering in the pecans and custard as you go. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
Special equipment
Ice cream maker