Cinnamon Sugar Pecan and Fig Ice Cream
Creamy fig ice cream is laced with crunchy slow roasted pecans and sweet figs coated in cinnamon sugar glaze.
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When I was a baby, my dad planted a fig tree in my parent’s yard. Thirty-some-odd years later, as the season begins to fade ever so slightly from the raging red of summer to the gold tinge of autumn, my parent’s fig tree swells with fruit. Lucky for me. I can always count on a quart-sized freezer bag (or two!) stuffed full of sweet fresh figs.
Usually, I immediately freeze my stash until Louisiana strawberries come into season sometime in early spring. I horde them so I can make my favorite strawberry and fig jam. But just this once, I decided to ration out a portion for homemade cinnamon sugar pecan and fig ice cream.
First, roast your figs and pecans
Soft, over ripe figs work best. However, freezing and thawing fresh figs softens them up perfectly for me. I don’t even have to remove the skins. I simply trim the stems and chop them up really well.
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, whisk together one egg white, a teaspoon of water and a teaspoon of vanilla.
In another small bowl, combine cinnamon, sugar and salt. Divide the cinnamon and sugar mixture in half. Coat the chopped figs and pecan pieces in the egg mixture. Then toss in one of the bowls of cinnamon sugar mixture until they are well coated. Roast the figs and pecans in the oven for 30 minutes. Then stir pecans and figs and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. This can be done ahead of time. Let your pecans and figs cool completely before moving on to making the ice cream
How to make cinnamon and sugar pecan and fig ice cream
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together whole milk and white granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Then add heavy cream and vanilla. You want to add the heavy cream at the end so it doesn’t start to turn into whipped cream.
Prepare your ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s directions. I have used this Cuisinart model for several years and am always pleased with the results. During the last five minutes of processing, add the cooled pecan and figs and any juice that may have accumulated during roasting time.
The addition of the roasted candied pecans and figs takes this ice cream to a whole new level. The cinnamon and sugar glaze adds warmth to the flavor while roasting the nuts and figs brings out their natural sweetness.
More ice cream recipes:
Cinnamon Sugar Pecan and Fig Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the candied pecans and figs:
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1 pint figs chopped
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the ice cream:
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the candied figs and pecans:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, water, and vanilla. Stir to coat.
- In a smaller separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the pecans and figs to the egg mixture, followed by half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Spread pecans and figs in an even layer of a greased cookie sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Stir mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roast for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow mixture to cool completely.
For the ice cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine whole milk and sugar. Beat at low speed until sugar is completely dissolved, about two minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.
- Prepare ice cream according to your machine’s directions. Add cooled candied figs and pecans, along with any juice that may have accumulated during roasting, during the last five minutes of processing.