Whiskey and Spiced Walnut Ice Cream

Place the cream, milk, vanilla bean seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk well and allow the mixture to heat up.

Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks and brown sugar in a bowl. Whisk well.

Once the cream mixture is warm and ALMOST simmering, add the egg yolk mixture to it a little at a time. Whisk vigorously (or use an immersion blender) to combine the egg yolks, so they don’t curdle.

Stir for another 1-2 minutes, until the mixture thickens a little. Then remove from heat. Place it in the fridge for at least four hours. *You can speed up the chilling process by placing it in the freezer for 1 hour – just don’t forget about it!

Meanwhile, make the Spiced Walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Place the walnuts in a bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and spices. In a third bowl, whisk the egg white and 2 teaspoons of whiskey together until frothy.

Pour the egg white mixture over the nuts. Toss until well coated. Then add the sugar mixture and toss.

Pour the walnuts onto the baking sheet. Try not to pour any of the extra liquid on the sheet. Separate them as best as possible and add only the nuts to the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes—stirring once. Then remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Once the ice cream mixture is chilled, pour the mixture into an electric ice cream maker. NOW add 3 Tablespoons of whiskey and let it churn for 20-30 minutes to soft serve consistency.

At that point, add the spiced walnuts to the ice cream maker and churn in, or reserve them to serve on top!

Serve immediately or place in an air-tight container and freeze.

Preparation time: 20 minutes active time, 5 hours total

Cooking time: 30 minute(s) combined

Number of servings (yield): 12, 1.5 quarts