Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramelized Nuts

The day you dare to make ice cream at home, you’ll wonder how it can possibly be so easy. Today, one of my favorites: vanilla ice cream with caramelized walnuts (yes, like the ice cream you probably know from Häagen-Dazs®, you can make it with macadamia nuts if you prefer, although once caramelized, you’ll see that whether you use walnuts or macadamia nuts, the result is equally wonderful).

To make this ice cream, I use the KitchenAid ice cream maker. If you’d rather make larger batches, I recommend simply doubling the ingredient amounts and using a large-capacity ice cream maker with a compressor, such as the Magimix ice cream maker (the queen of ice cream makers in France) or the Gran Gelato by Ariete.

I love making ice cream, and I think vanilla is a mild flavor that any guest at home will enjoy. With the caramelized walnuts, which are very easy to make, you’ll really impress everyone.

KitchenAid ice cream maker, Le Creuset mini cocottes and WMF ice cream scoop

Ingredients

For the vanilla ice cream:

• 380 g whole milk
• 2.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 145 g sugar
• 5 M egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• 400 ml whipping cream 35% fat

For the caramelized walnuts:

• 2 large handfuls of walnuts*
• 4 heaping tbsp sugar

*If you prefer, use chopped macadamia nuts to make the classic and popular vanilla and macadamia nut ice cream from the well-known Häagen-Dazs® brand. Or use hazelnuts! Caramelized and paired with vanilla ice cream, they’re delicious too.

Preparation

For the caramelized walnuts:

1. In a skillet, add the walnuts and sugar, heat over low heat, and let the sugar melt. When it starts to melt, swirl the skillet so the walnuts turn and become coated with the sugar. You’ll see it only takes a few minutes. In the end, you can use a wooden spoon to finish stirring the walnuts and make sure they’re well coated with the caramel. Set aside in an airtight container.

Note: The mixture for the ice cream needs to rest for one day before the next. If you want to make the caramelized walnuts the same day you churn the ice cream, you can do it, but do it a little ahead of time, since when you add them to the ice cream they should be lukewarm, never hot.

Le Creuset Skillet Pan and Pallarès Chef knife

For the ice cream:

1. In a saucepan, gently heat the milk until it boils. Stir and remove the cream skin if one forms. Add the vanilla extract. Let the milk infuse and cool down.
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks, using an egg separator. You will only need the yolks.
3. In a bowl, mix the yolks with the sugar and the pinch of salt.
4. Add the mixture to the milk once it has cooled down (it can be between 50 and 70º; what you want to avoid is the yolks curdling from the heat). Keep stirring.
5. Add the whipping cream, mix well, and leave in the refrigerator until the next day.
6. When you’re ready to make the ice cream, remove the KitchenAid ice cream maker from the freezer and attach it to the mixer. Turn on the mixer and pour in the mixture at low speed. Let it run and churn the ice cream.
7. Once you see that the ice cream has reached the right consistency and with the mixer still running, add the caramelized walnuts you prepared. Let it run for one or two more minutes so they’re evenly distributed throughout the ice cream and through the mixer.
8. Remove the ice cream and place it in a glass, airtight container suitable for the freezer (I highly recommend EMSA containers). The ice cream has churned properly and without ice crystals, but now it needs to firm up: leave it in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

When serving, nothing beats an Italian-style scoop for serving it. The same goes for glasses and bowls. You have to see everything we have for serving ice cream! Here.