Low-carb pumpkin and pecan nut ice cream

If you can get hold of tinned pumpkin, it’s perfect. But if not, make your own: Cut the pumpkin or butternut into wedges. Leave the skin on, scoop out the seeds and roast as it is in a preheated oven at 180°C.

Once it’s become a little caramelized on the corners, and a knife slides through the flesh easily, it’s done. Take it out the oven, and let it cool.

Next, make the custard. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream till it starts to steam gently, but not boil.
Add the xylitol or honey, stevia, spices, salt and vanilla and whisk well.
While the milk mixture heats up, separate the egg yolks into a heatproof bowl.
When the milk mixture is just about to boil, remove it from the heat. Add just a splash of milk to temper the egg yolks, whisking vigorously.
Once the yolks are tempered, gradually pour in the rest of the milk mixture, stirring constantly.
Put the saucepan back on the heat, and transfer the yolky milk mixture back to the saucepan, whisking continuously as it cooks into a custard.
Watch it doesn’t bubble too much, as this will over cook the yolks. Take it slowly and gently through this phase.
Once it’s thickened to a custard consistency, remove from the heat and add the other cup of milk and stir to combine.

Now the pumpkin should have cooled down, so using a spoon, scoop out the flesh until you have the required two cups.

Put the pumpkin and the custard ice cream mixture into a blender and blitz together till smooth and very well combined.

Refrigerate the pumpkin custard mix.

For the pecans
Toast them in a dry pan until they just start to colour and smell nutty.

Next, add the butter, cream and honey, mixing the nuts around as it bubbles and caramelises. Once it’s thickened and slightly golden, remove from the heat and set aside to let the caramel harden and enrobe the nuts.

Take the chilled custard mixture out of the fridge after about an hour or so or overnight. Put it in the ice cream maker and churn as per your appliance directions.

Transfer the ice cream to a tub, and add the cooled caramelized pecan nuts into the ice cream, mixing them through evenly.

You could serve immediately or freeze it until required.

Recipe reprinted with permission of Jax of the Bushveld. To see more recipes, please click here.
 
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