Peach-Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches

Pecan Sandies for Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 /3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 /2 tsp baking powder

Peach Ice Cream
2 cups peaches, fresh, peeled (can use frozen)
3 /4  cups sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp peach schnapps
1 cup heavy cream
1 /2  cup milk
1 /2  vanilla bean
2 egg yolks

Pecan Sandies for Ice Cream Sandwiches

Preheat oven to 325° F.

In a food processor, pulse the nuts with 1 /4 cup of the flour. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, approximately two minutes. Add vanilla and beat well. Sift together the remaining 1 3 /4 cups flour, salt, and baking powder, and add it to the dough, mixing until just combined. Stir in the nut mixture. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and using a round two-inch cookie cutter, cut cookies. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes.

Remove and cool completely.

To assemble ice cream sandwiches, place a one ounce scoop of ice cream between to pecan sandies. Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Yield: 50 cookies-25 ice cream sandwiches

Peach Ice Cream

In a bowl, combine peaches, 1 /4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and peach schnapps. Cover and refrigerate 2- 3 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.

Remove peach mixture from refrigerator and drain juice, reserving in a cup. Return peaches to refrigerator.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and combine it with remaining sugar, heavy cream, and milk in a small saucepot. Heat just until it just begins to boil.

In bowl, whisk egg yolks. While whisking, stream in about 1 /3 of the boiled cream mixture. Stir well. Add egg mixture to cream mixture. Return to heat and continue stirring. Mixture will thicken as it returns to a boil. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl set over ice. Add the reserved peach juice.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. After the ice cream begins to stiffen, add the peaches and continue to freeze until done.

Yield: 1 quart

Note:
This recipe is 100% Chef Linda Nance. Although a native of California, she has adopted the South as her home, and can now pronounce “Pecan” with a Southern drawl that would make Scarlet O’Hara proud (it’s puh-kahn, not pee-can!)