Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream

Who has two thumbs and is really excited about the onset of Fall (even though she spent all last weekend at the beach)? This gal!

Overused phrases aside, I've been wanting to make this ice cream for ages but had to wait until the temperature dipped below 80 degrees to justify turning on the oven. #CaliProbs

This week my prayers for cooler weather were answered and I was finally able to roast up a delightful spiced apple concoction to swirl into my boozy bourbon ice cream. Boozy ice creams are the best for a couple of reasons:

1. They have booze in them! 

2. Alcohol doesn't freeze, so adding a bit of booze ensures a luxurious, velvety smooth and easily scoop-able texture to your ice cream (I always add about a tablespoon or so of vodka to my sorbets for this same reason). Just be sparing, lest you wind up with a melty, un-freezable mess on your hands. Less is more.

A smattering of chopped candied pecans rounds out the recipe perfectly. I tend to enjoy my ice creams without a lot of bits and bobs; call me a purist but normally I'm of the belief that ice cream should not need to be chewed. Rather, it should melt languidly in your mouth, you know? But in this case the pecans add a lovely toasted note that I would miss otherwise, and the finished product is the stuff that Fall inspired ice cream dreams are made of.

A little part of me thinks that I should lock up this recipe in a vault, package it and sell it for $11 a pint and build an ice cream empire on the foundation of this Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream - it's that good. But honestly, it's too yummy not to share, so here you go, my friends. Have at it. I suppose my dreams of world domination via ice cream can wait...

makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

for the roasted apple:

1 large or 2 medium sized apples, peeled cored and finely diced

1 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

for the ice cream:

2 cups half and half

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add diced apple, bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a medium sized bowl and mix to combine. Transfer to a small baking dish and roast for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring mixture once or twice throughout cooking process. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a small food processor and puree until smooth but slightly chunky in texture. Set aside.

2. Bring half and half, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick and salt to a simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a medium sized bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk warm cream mixture into yolk mixture, then transfer mixture back into saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until custard thickens and temperature reaches about 170 degrees. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and stir in heavy cream and bourbon. Transfer into a bowl set over an ice bath or place in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill.

4. Freeze in an ice ream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. After about 10 minutes or when ice cream has partially frozen, gradually add roasted apple mixture and candied pecans, little by little, for a swirl effect. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid.