PRALINES & CREAM HOME-MADE ICE CREAM

All the freshness of homemade, with the creamy texture you get at the store

MAKES 1 1/2 Quarts
Ingredients, Candied Pecans (Pralines):

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup brown sugar

2 drops pralines and cream flavoring (www.Lorannoils.com)

½ cup chopped pecans or pecan pieces

Ingredients, Ice Cream:

1 cup Half and Half, well chilled

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups Heavy Cream, well chilled

1 teaspoon pralines and cream flavoring (www.Lorannoils.com)

¾ teaspoon Xanthan Gum (www.Lorannoils.com) or www.walmart.com

1 recipe Pralines from above

Directions:

Make the candied pecans first.  Add butter and brown sugar to a small sauté pan.  Cook on medium heat , stirring constantly until brown sugar dissolves and it bubbles and smells like caramel.  Add the pecans.  Stir until completely coated and caramel resembles stringy candy. Remove from heat immediately.  Place on parchment paper, let cool about 10 minutes, then place in the freezer. 

To make the ice cream: In a medium bowl add the half and half and the sugar.  With a mixer, beat on low until sugar dissolves (1 – 2 minutes).  Add the heavy cream, xanthan gum and the flavoring.  Mix well (the xanthan gum needs to be mixed in really well).  Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 45 minutes.  Once chilled, add mixture to your ice cream maker and operate according to your ice cream maker’s directions.  After about 15 minutes remove the candied pecans from the freezer and break them up into small pieces.  Add them to the ice cream during the last 5 minutes of the freezing cycle.  Once the ice cream machine is finished with its process, remove ice cream from the freezer bowl and place in a freezer safe container and freeze.  Or enjoy right from the ice cream maker as soft serve.  Serve with caramel ice cream topping and whipped cream.

Igredients

Butter and Brown Sugar

Pecans mixed with butter and Brown Sugar

Candied Pecans on Parchment Cooling

Mixing Cream, Flavoring and Xanthan Gum

Ready to Add to the Machine

Done with Machine, Ready for Freezer

After 3 hours freezing

After 12 hours freezing

3 BERRY FREEZER JAM

3 Berry Freezer Jam

3 Berry Freezer Jam on Waffles

Adapted from the Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin package

Ingredients:

2 cups washed, hulled and sliced strawberries

2 cups washed and drained raspberries

2 cups washed, drained and mashed blackberries (you can put them through the food chopper)

8 cups sugar (or 4 cups sugar and 4 cups apple juice), divided (set one cup of the sugar aside to mix with pectin)

2 boxes Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin

Directions:

1.       Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids.  Use 2 to 4 cup size containers.

2.       Prepare strawberries, raspberries and blackberries (wash, hull, and slice, drain, food chop, etc.)

3.       Measure exact amount (6 cups) of prepared berries.

4.       Measure exactly 7 cups of sugar into a separate bowl.

5.       Stir 7 cups sugar into the fruit.  Mix well.  Let stand for 10 minutes; stir occasionally.

6.       Pour the pectin into a medium mixing bowl and add the remaining 1 cup sugar.  Mix well.

7.       Stir the pectin/sugar mixture and 1 ½ cups water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

8.       In a large stockpot cook berries on low with the sugar mixture.  Stir constantly.  If desired, use a potato masher and mash strawberries until desired consistency.

9.       Stir pectin mixture into fruit.  Mix well.

10.   Pour into prepared containers, leaving ½ inch space at the top for expansion during freezing;  Using a spatula, scrape the insides of the containers to help remove bubbles.  Repeat the bubble removing process two times. cover.

11.   Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set.  Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.  Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year.  Thaw in the refrigerator.