Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I warned you it would happen. And here it is. One of many ice cream escapades to come. With the new ice cream maker and my inborn obsession with ice cream, you can expect to see a lot more of this in the very near future.

Because, let me tell you, I love ice cream. Truly. Madly. And deeply. In fact, that Savage Garden song actually explains our relationship perfectly.

My boyfriend told me he was finally sure I actually liked him when I grudgingly gave him a bite of my ice cream at Dairy Queen after about a year of dating. The true test of affection? Whether or not you'll share your cone. That's love right there.

And homemade is always so much better than anything from the store. Sorry Breyers, but I have you beat. I've never been a fan of butter pecan in my life, until I made this upon my Grandma's request. The lady did just turn 80, so I thought I'd give her what she wanted! And I was so glad I tried this recipe, adapted from my Aunt Becky's.

{Butter Pecan Ice Cream}
Ingredients:
6 eggs (I used egg beaters, 1 package)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 pint half & half
1/2 pint whipping cream
6 TB vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Approximately 1 qt. whole or regular milk
3 cups pecans, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter

Directions: Beat the first 7 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into ice cream container and add milk to the fill line. Stir. Follow directions for your ice cream freezer to make the ice cream. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 1 stick of butter. Add pecans and stir constantly, until the pecans are soft. Allow to cool.

When the ice cream is done, pour in the pecans and any extra sauce from the butter and pecan mixture. Stir, then place in freezer to harden for at least 2 hours. Makes 1 gallon of buttery creamy nutty goodness. The three cups of pecans make it very nutty, so if you prefer more ice cream to nut ratio, use 2 cups. It tastes just as good after pulling out of the freezer a few days later, if you have any left over.