Pralines and Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed saucepan (3-quart)
• •Candy thermometer
• •Ice cream maker
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Freezer-safe container (2-quart)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your workspace

   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Have everything measured and ready before you start the pralines. Candy making moves fast once the sugar hits temperature, and there's no time to hunt for ingredients. Set a glass of cold water nearby for testing the candy stage.

   Louisiana humidity affects candy making. If it's a rainy day, your pralines may take longer to set. Patience is part of the process.
2. 2

   Cook the praline base

   Combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts and everything comes together into a smooth, bubbling mixture. This is the foundation. Watch the color deepen from tan to a rich amber as the sugars caramelize.

3. 3

   Reach soft-ball stage

   Continue cooking and stirring until a candy thermometer reads 236 to 238 degrees, the soft-ball stage. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small amount into cold water. It should form a soft, pliable ball you can flatten between your fingers. This takes 8 to 12 minutes of steady cooking.

   Don't rush past soft-ball stage or your pralines will be hard as rocks. The difference between 238 and 245 degrees is the difference between creamy pralines and pecan brittle.
4. 4

   Add pecans and finish pralines

   Remove the pan from heat immediately. Stir in the chopped pecans, vanilla extract, and salt. Keep stirring vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture loses its gloss and begins to thicken. The candy will go from shiny to matte as the sugar crystallizes. Work quickly.

5. 5

   Shape and cool pralines

   Drop spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet, working fast before the candy sets in the pan. Don't worry about perfect shapes. These are getting chopped up anyway. Let them cool completely at room temperature, at least 30 minutes. They should be firm but crumbly, not hard or sticky.

   Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the praline mixture before it sets completely. Thin it with a splash of cream to make your caramel ribbon.
6. 6

   Heat the custard base

   In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and milk. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out those fragrant seeds with the back of your knife. Add both the seeds and the spent pod to the cream. Heat over medium until you see steam rising and small bubbles forming at the edges, but don't let it boil. The kitchen should smell like pure vanilla heaven.

7. 7

   Temper the eggs

   While the cream heats, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt in a large bowl until pale and slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Once the cream is hot, slowly drizzle about a cup of it into the yolks while whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they don't scramble. Then pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream.

8. 8

   Cook the custard

   Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners where eggs like to stick. Cook until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it. This takes 8 to 10 minutes. Don't rush it.

   If you have an instant-read thermometer, you're looking for 170 to 175 degrees. Any higher and you'll have sweet scrambled eggs.
9. 9

   Strain and chill

   Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any bits of cooked egg and the vanilla pod. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. A proper chill makes smoother ice cream.

10. 10

    Churn the ice cream

    Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Most machines take 20 to 25 minutes. You want it thick like soft-serve but not fully frozen. While it churns, chop your cooled pralines into rough pieces, some the size of peas, some a bit larger for good texture variety.

11. 11

    Layer and freeze

    Spread a third of the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Scatter a generous handful of praline pieces over the top, then drizzle some of your reserved praline sauce or caramel in thin ribbons. Repeat twice more, ending with pralines and caramel on top. Don't stir it together. You want those distinct layers and pockets of flavor.

12. 12

    Final freeze

    Press plastic wrap onto the surface and seal with a lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping. The first bite should give you creamy vanilla, crunchy praline, and a ribbon of caramel all at once. That's the bayou way.

    Ice cream is best within 2 weeks. After that, ice crystals form and the texture suffers. Not that this will last that long in any household I know.

Chef Tips

• •Louisiana pecans are worth seeking out. They're smaller and sweeter than the Georgia variety, with a more delicate flavor that doesn't overpower the caramel.
• •If your pralines set up too fast in the pan, add a tablespoon of cream and stir over low heat to loosen them. It happens to everyone.
• •No ice cream maker? Pour the churned mixture into a shallow pan and freeze, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. More work, but it gets the job done.
• •A pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each scoop before serving brings out the caramel flavor something fierce. We do this at Lagniappe and folks go crazy for it.

Advance Preparation

• •Pralines can be made 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Humidity is their enemy, so keep them sealed.
• •Custard base can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before churning. In fact, the flavor deepens with an overnight rest.
• •Finished ice cream keeps for 2 weeks in the freezer, though texture is best in the first week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)