Amaretto Ice Cream With Liquor Poached Pecans and Hazelnut Swirl

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup amaretto
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons amaretto
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/8 cup Nutella spread

Instructions

1. To prepare the pecans, combine them with the amaretto, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid has reduced completely.  Transfer to a dish to cool.
2. Combine milk, cream, sugar, and salt in a double boiler and cook over high heat.  
3. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl.  
4. When the milk mixture heats through, pour about 1/8 cup at a time into the egg yolks, stirring continuously until the egg mixture is heated through.  
5. Pour the egg mixture into the double boiler.  Stir continually with a rubber spatula until the custard cooks through, becoming thick enough to trace or coat the spatula.
6. Cool the custard as quickly as possible.  Transfering the double boiler insert to an ice bath is a great option.
7. As soon as the custard reached room temperature, mix in vanilla extract, almond extract, and amaretto.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  
8. When it has set, transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and churn for 45 minutes, or the time indicated by the machine's instructions.
9. When the ice cream is done churning, mix in the pecans.  
10. Meanwhile, heat the nutella in the double boiler until it is liquified.  
11. The best way to add the nutella is by layering.  As you are packing the soft ice cream into its freezer container, drizzle in layers of melted nutella.  
12. Once you have finished, allow your ice cream to set in the freezer for at least 3 hours.  Ice cream that includes alcohol will be VERY soft. Make sure you allow it to deep freeze before serving.
13. I recommend serving this ice cream, and others that include rich alcohol flavors in small portions.  A little will go a long way, so try serving it in one or two small scoop portions.