Chocolate Pecan Pie Ice Cream

I love chocolate pecan pie. I love it so much. We never grew up with pecan pie, or chocolate pie, so you can imagine my rapture when I first tasted this wondrous concoction about 17 or 18 years ago. Despite the fact that I hate making pies, I have to make this pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. And now that I am an ice cream-making fiend, I also had to turn this into ice cream. What is so delicious that it cannot be made better by the adding of ice cream? And doesn’t it look so pretty? It’s like the trifecta of dessert goodness: ice cream, nuts, and chocolate.

Time commitment: High, but worth it

Pecans provide more than 19 vitamins and minerals, and may help prevent age-related motor neuron degeneration. (See Pecans Provide Neurological Protection).

Pure Vanilla activates chemicals in the brain that reduce inflammation and improve mental performance. (See Using Vanilla to Increase Your Mental Performance).

I recommend the Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker.

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Ice Cream

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. real butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips dark or semi-sweet, plus 1/4 tsp. oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 recipe for Pie Crust

Instructions

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir over medium-low heat for about two minutes.
2. Slowly add about 1/4 milk and stir until everything is dissolved. Slowly add the rest of the milk and stir.
3. Remove from heat. Add cream and chill for several hours.
4. Add to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions.
5. While ice cream is in ice cream maker, melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat. Add 1/4 tsp. oil to slightly thin the chocolate. As soon as all the chocolate is melted, remove from heat.
6. When transferring ice cream to an airtight container, put in a little ice cream and smooth it out. Then drop in pie crust pieces and nuts. Drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Repeat layering process until all the ice cream has been put in the airtight container. Freeze for several hours.