Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup chopped almonds
Preparation
Step 1
n a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and cream until it bubbles appear around the edge. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until thick and pale yellow. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pan with the remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour the custard into a metal bowl, stir in the almond and vanilla extracts, and set aside to cool. (To speed up cooling, prepare an ice bath in a slightly larger bowl and place the custard bowl in the ice. Stir the custard until cool.)
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until they just begin to show color. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until nuts caramelize to a dark brown color, about 5 minutes. Spread them out on a plate to cool. When cool, break the nuts apart.
Meanwhile, begin to process the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (or follow our guide to making ice cream without an ice cream maker). When the mixture is the consistency of frozen yogurt, sprinkle in the nuts and process until it hardens further.
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