For Lindsey Dobruck of Torrance, California, calling a dish “ruined” is subjective. “I’ve served decapitated Bundt cakes that never fully released from the pan. I turned the broken top layer of my husband’s birthday cake into cake pops. But in most of my kitchen mishaps, guests still asked for seconds. As my mom says, ‘It’s not the Last Supper,’ meaning it doesn’t have to be perfect. And there’s always a next time!” she says.

BOURBON-PECAN ICE CREAM

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 ½ cups heavy cream

½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons, firmly packed brown sugar, divided

4 egg yolks

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bourbon

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup pecans

Dash of ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan combine the milk, cream, and ½ cup of the brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks with the salt. Slowly pour in half of the cream mixture, whisking to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the saucepan of cream mixture to the heat and whisk in the egg-cream mixture. Stir the mixture constantly, cooking over low heat until a custard consistency forms. The custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon, or a thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Set a clean 1- to 2-quart bowl in the ice water. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the clean bowl. Stir frequently as the custard cools. Remove the mixture from the ice bath and stir in the vanilla and bourbon. Cover and refrigerate.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the pecans, the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick and brown. When the pecans are completely coated, spread them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet to cool. When the sugar coating has hardened, chop the pecans coarsely.

Freeze the custard mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mix in the pecans when the ice cream is mostly frozen. Scoop into a freezer container and freeze for several hours until firm.

97814016054_0011_005.jpg Makes about 1 ½ quarts, or 12 servings