"The Best Ice Cream Ever!"

Well, I probably haven't heard this line before. But so said my dearly beloved when I gave him a bowl of maple walnut ice cream.

Saturday was, as one would like to have every weekend, a picture perfect day. Sunny and 68, birdies singing outside the windows, little boys and dog frolicking in the yard. Of course, that meant only one thing: Make Ice Cream! As Pam says, there's never a wrong time for ice cream, and Saturday seemed even more right than many.

A couple of weeks back, my milkman offered quarts of pure maple syrup for $17.50. Well, I thought, locally produced maple syrup should be dandy! This is what I got. Isn't it beautiful?
Anyway, every time we have taken the kids to a local dairy farm which makes awesome ice cream, my dearly beloved has gone looking for maple walnut ice cream. So, with that lovely mason jar of maple syrup staring at me, inspiration hit. Since my dearly beloved declared this the best ice cream he has ever had, you should all give it a try!

MAPLE WALNUT ICE CREAM

1-1/2 cups milk
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Toast the walnuts by spreading them on a baking sheet, and cooking at 325F for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Set aside to cool, then put them into a bowl and into the freezer.

In a microwavable pitcher, heat 1 cup cream and the sugar for 1 minute. Whisk in the egg yolks, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to let it boil. Stir in the remaining milk, cream, syrup, salt and extract, and chill until cold. Pour into the bowl of your ice cream maker, and process until it's almost done. Add the walnuts from the freezer 1 to 2 minutes before the ice cream is finished.
And rain notwithstanding, you can see out my kitchen window that spring is finally on the way. If we can keep having sunny weekends, my little corner of the world will be a happy place indeed!