When I was a kid, store-bought ice cream was plain and simple. Chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla. You might get a carton of Neapolitan on a special occasion or some Spumoni at Christmas. But if you wanted fancy, you had to get creative with toppings — or go to the ice cream parlour.
When faced with a wall of options, I went for something we couldn’t duplicate at home. Forget the Chocolate Chip or Strawberry Sundae. I opted for anything with butter or cream in the name.
Although I wasn’t sure what Butter Brickle was, I ordered it for the sheer joy of saying its name. The tiny bits of toffee sprinkled throughout didn’t disappoint.
After much serious field research, I declared Pralines and Cream to be my favourite, with Butter Brickle a close second. In the absence of brickle and pralines, Butter Pecan was an acceptable alternative, even though candied pecans would have been infinitely better. I might have been young and opinionated, but I was smart enough to realize even naked pecans were an improvement over bland Grocery Store Vanilla.
Thanks to the pandemic, a trip to the ice cream parlour is a big adventure once again. Is it open? How long will the line-up be? Will they have all the usual flavours? Just like when I was a kid, going out for a cone is a crapshoot. This is not the sort of nostalgic experience I pine for, but don’t fret. I have a few no-churn ice cream bases in the archives and some mix-ins (should you feel creative), to help you recreate your favourite ice cream parlour flavours at home.
What is pralines and cream anyway?
Candied pecans + a vanilla ice cream base = summer perfection.
When it comes to Pralines and Cream, the total is greater than the sum of the parts. Bonus: the candied coating creates its own caramel sauce as the dish freezes.
Mix and match ice cream
Despite my gushing, don’t feel obligated to follow the recipe. Mix the pralines into no-churn chocolate ice cream. Toss in some chocolate crackles to create a new flavour. Swap toffee bits for the candied pecans — or add them in as a bonus. Butter Brickle Pralines, anyone?
And if mix-ins aren’t your thing, you can always smother a gigantic scoop (or two, or three) with Hard-Top Chocolate Sauce — just for the joy of watching it crack.
No matter how you approach your ice cream, the child in me approves.
Candied pecans turn plain vanilla ice cream into a classic treat — Pralines and Cream. Feel free to mix things up and make it your own by adding chocolate crackle, toffee bits, or swapping the vanilla base for other flavours.
Scale
Ingredients
Candied Pecans 1/4 cup (60 g) butter 2 cups (250 g) pecan halves 1/4 cup (60 g) brown sugar 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whipping cream (35%)
generous pinch fine salt
Ice Cream Base 1 can (300 ml / 14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
generous pinch fine sea salt 2 cups (500 ml) cold whipping cream (35%)
Instructions
Candied Pecans Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pecans. Using a heat-proof spoon or spatula, and toss to coat the nuts. Quickly add the sugar, whipping cream, and salt. Stirring constantly, cook the pecans until the sugar caramelizes, about 3 minutes.
Spread the pecans on the prepared pan. Once cool, chop roughly. Set aside.
Ice Cream Base Line a freezer-safe container or baking tin with plastic wrap or parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, scoop the sweetened condensed milk, making sure you scrape all the milk from the tin. Mix in the vanilla extract and fine sea salt.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix a generous scoop of whipped cream into the condensed milk. Fold in the remainder of the whipped cream being careful to keep as much air in the mix as possible. Fold in the chopped pecans, saving some for topping if desired.
Spoon into freezer container. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent ice from forming. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, allow to soften at least 10 minutes before scooping, longer if frozen overnight. Alternatively, place the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften for up to 45 minutes. Return to the freezer immediately after scooping.
