The Nuts and BoltsInfusing nuts into ice cream is easy, but there are a few things to know about getting the most out of them. The nuts you infuse into your ice cream base take on a soft, sapped-of-life quality that makes them unsuitable for using as mix-ins later on. That in turn means somewhat higher ingredient costs, so it's worth knowing how to use them right.
When it comes to amounts, two to four ounces per quart of ice cream is the optimal range: less for a subtle nutty tinge and more for a bigger wallop of nut flavor. You'll get the most out of your nuts by toasting them first , which makes their aromas and flavors more volatile; that is, ready to jump ship from their nutty prisons and into your ice cream base.
As for how much time, I've tested infusion times of one, two, four, and nearly 24 hours. The outcomes all taste pretty similar, so one or two hours of steeping time is plenty. Surface area, however, does matter; finely chopped nuts release more flavor than whole versions, so for best results, toast your nuts, chop them into small bits, and steep them in dairy for a couple hours before straining them out and proceeding as normal.
You can apply this technique to the five recipes below or to any of your favorites. Some nuts leach a nominal amount of liquid out of your pot, but not enough to make a difference, so whether you're making vanilla, chocolate, or pistachio pumpkin praline, you can bring the nutty verve all the pros wish they could do at work.
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