For the past 4 years during the string of 100 degree days Austin has, there is an Ice Cream Festival held at Waterloo Park. There is an I Scream contest, an ice cream eating contest, a Popsicle stick art contest, and an ice cream making contest. I participated the first year and had a really great time but it took a couple of years to forget how hot it is to carry a mobile kitchen in and out of a park. The first year I made a goat cheese with rosemary and fig ice cream. It was popular but probably a little too “different” to win. Surprisingly, nobody made a chocolate ice cream so this year I decided to try a dark chocolate flavored with my favorite Mexican vanilla, Danncy’s**** and accented with homemade spicy pecans. I didn’t win this year either but had a blast and met some really nice folks who I promised I would post my recipe, so here it is.
MEXICAN DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
2 CUPS MILK
1 CUP CREAM
6 EGG YOLKS
4 TBSP COCOA
6 OZ CHOCOLATE
½ C SUGAR
1 TSP INSTANT COFFEE
½ TSP CINNAMON
2 TBSP DANNCY’S MEXICAN VANILLA
½ TSP SALT
HEAT MILK AND CREAM, ADD COCOA, CINNAMON, AND COFFEE, STIR TO DISSOLVE. PLACE REMAINING INGREDIENTS INTO BLENDER, POUR IN HOT MILK AND PROCESS TILL SMOOTH. CHILL IN REFRIGERATOR FOR 2-3 HOURS. POUR INTO ICE CREAM MAKER AND FOLLOW MANUFACTURER DIRECTIONS. MIX IN SPICY PECANS. PLACE IN FREEZER TO HARDEN.
SPICY PECANS
1 tsp cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning (or your favorite seasoning salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (preferably chipotle)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg whites
- 3 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Stir first 8 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Whisk egg white in large bowl until foamy. Whisk in spice mixture. Add pecan halves; toss to coat completely. Sprinkle sugar over and toss to coat. Cover baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Spread pecans across in single layer. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.
I usually make these pecans with 1/4 sugar but I found for the ice cream, they needed to be a little sweeter and the bits of spicy caramelized sugar that come off the pecans give the ice cream a nice kick.
**** check the web for warnings about Danncy and Coumarin. The bottle I have says Coumarin free but be forwarned.
