No-Churn Butter Pecan Ice Cream

EASIER

VEGETARIAN

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes about 1 quart

You can forego not only a machine for this ice cream but also all that stirring of a custard base over the heat. The resulting frozen dessert is ridiculously velvety, although it does not freeze hard. Eat it quickly from a cone. Or savor it slowly from a bowl. It probably needs shortbread cookies (here).

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

¾ cup finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe ramekin. Cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, use a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the cream at high speed until soft peaks can be formed off a silicone spatula, about 2 minutes.

3. Whisk the browned butter, condensed milk, pecans, and vanilla in a small bowl until uniform. Gently fold this mixture into the beaten cream until almost (if not quite) uniform.

4. Scrape this mixture into a 1-quart round baking dish or other 1-quart freezer-safe serving dish such as a round high-sided soufflé dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours or up to 1 week. Serve at will.

Test Kitchen Notes

• Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream using long, slow, steady arcs with a silicone spatula, so as not to deflate the cream too much.

• Switch out the pecans for the nuts of your choosing.

• If you like, omit the butter and substitute ¾ cup mini chocolate chips for the nuts.

• For a caramel base, omit the butter and vanilla and fold ¼ cup store-bought caramel sauce into the condensed milk before adding to the whipped cream.

• Do not use low-fat or fat-free sweetened condensed milk.

image Voilà! If you’ve got a turbo blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can make hot fudge sauce in minutes because the blender is powerful enough to actually heat ingredients. (This trick won’t work in a more standard blender.) Combine 1 cup half-and-half, ¼ cup granulated white sugar, and ¼ cup light corn syrup in a turbo blender. Cover and blend at the highest speed until steaming, about 4 minutes, stopping the machine once to scrape down the inside of the canister. Add 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cover and blend until hot and thick, about 2 minutes. Cool for a bit before using—or once cooled, store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.