Toasted Pecan Maple Ice Cream

It may be nearly Autumn and the chill in the air may have set in but that does not stop me from making ice cream.  How else would I acquire a delicious accompaniment to my warm crisps and cobblers?  I haven't bought ice cream at the store in years and am not about to start doing so now.  Besides, how else would I infuse the flavors of fall into the creamy dessert?  I know you can buy cinnamon ice cream at the store, but what about flavors like pumpkin, apple cinnamon or toasted pecan maple? 

I look at ice cream base as my blank palate to create new flavors, seasonally of course since I am not so much craving strawberry in the fall or pumpkin in the summer. 

I love the flavor of roasted nuts in the cooler months, so this week I decided that a toasted pecan maple ice cream would be delicious!  Also it would the perfect accompaniment to the apple cobbler I was planning on making this weekend. 

So I blended toasted pecans into my vegan ice cream base and added maple syrup for sweetener along with some cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.  The smooth ice cream with the flavor of the toasted nuts was delicious, but I decided to stir in some chopped pecans for crunch at the end. 

It was wonderful!  Nutty, sweet and lightly spiced.  Delicious with maple syrup drizzled over, but even more so when paired with a warm apple cobbler! 

Don't let the chill of fall keep you from making ice cream!  You should try this out if you plan on making a warm apple dessert anytime soon! 

Toasted Pecan Maple Ice Cream  

Makes 6 cups

Ice Cream:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

2 cups chopped toasted pecans, divided

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp maple extract

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients except one cup of pecans in a blender, and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, strir in remaining pecans and pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.