Praline Ice Cream

Well, you've probably all figured out by now that I just love making my own ice cream. Fortunately for my derriere, my husband and kids love me doing it, too, so I'm not forced to eat more than one scoop out of each batch. OK, sometimes I eat two scoops. So shoot me.

In case Katherine or anyone else got the ice cream attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer, I thought I'd show you how to use the adapter for the mixer. I found the directions confusing, with no illustrations; perhaps they had one of Thor's cousins write those directions? In any event, Kitchenaid provides a little white, figure 8 shaped piece. It's designed to fit either of two sizes of mixer head. One hole in this piece goes over the chrome part where the beater normally fits, and it's pushed up so the grey rubber parts grip a ridge which sticks down on this part.
This is how it looks when assembled. The mixing paddle inside the freezer bowl does not attach to the mixing head; the ridges sticking down on the white piece turn the paddle.

And, so I didn't have to re-figure out which end to use every time, I marked the inside of my piece with a sharpie, indicating with arrows how to fit it on. Brilliant, right? Ahem. Moving on.

This recipe comes from the James Beard cookbook I got at the library used book sale last fall. I had to downsize the recipe to fit my ice cream bowl, or else it would have been hopping out the top of the bowl big time. It was up to the top as it was.

Before making the ice cream, you have to make praline powder. He also uses this in a cake recipe, so I was quite happy to make it.

Praline Powder

1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup toasted filberts (hazelnuts)
1 cup sugar

Toast the almonds and filberts at 350F for about 10 minutes and cool. Whirl them in the food processor with the sugar until it's all finely ground. This can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator, and I'm sure it has many wonderful uses, although I haven't discovered them yet!

JAMES BEARD'S PRALINE ICE CREAM

1-1/2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup praline powder

Heat the milk, cream and sugar until the sugar's dissolved. Slightly beat the egg yolks, then pour some of the hot mix into the yolks, stir together, and add to the milk/cream mix. Add the salt and cook until the mixture thickens so that it will coat the back of a spoon. Don't boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle. (Mr. Beard says that if this happens, you can add 2 tbsp of boiling water and beat like crazy to get it back to proper consistency). Stir in the vanilla and praline powder, and let the mix cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. This ice cream was terrific. My husband still says that his favorite is candy cane ice cream, but the nutty overtones of this ice cream made it an instant winner.