Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Peach-Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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!)

Recent Recipes

Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake

Chef Linda Roderick has been by my side through these cookbooks for over two decades, and there’s no one I’d rather have guiding me through a cheesecake recipe. She’s a master of the craft—steady, exacting, and always aiming for perfection. This rich, decadent chocolate cheesecake is no exception. It's all about balance. The deep, smooth chocolate filling meets a crisp, slightly salty crust for a perfect bite every time. Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing—otherwise, you’ll end up with lumps. And when you melt the chocolate, give it time to cool slightly before mixing it into the batter, so you don’t end up with curdled filling. It’s worth the patience, every time. A few techniques can elevate this recipe to another level: chilling the dough overnight for a richer flavor, using a water bath to ensure an ultra-smooth texture, and letting the cheesecake rest for at least 24 hours before serving for the best flavor.

Read more

Harrison’s Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Having a son who’s following in your footsteps is one thing. Watching him take what you’ve taught him and elevate it to something even better—that’s special. During his Christmas break from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, a few years ago, he nudged me out of the way and made these mashed potatoes. I was skeptical, of course as I’ve been making mashed potatoes for decades. But there was no question his version was better. There’s a lot of pride in seeing him excel in the kitchen, making something as simple as mashed potatoes taste extraordinary. This recipe has become a new tradition in our family. Watching him cook now, with all that skill and precision, is a proud moment for me every time. This is his recipe, and I’ve adopted it as my own.

Read more

Macaroni and Cheese

Growing up, elaborate mac & cheese wasn’t something that made its way to our dinner table. That’s not some sort of elitist statement. We grew up in a very modest way. It’s just that macaroni and cheese was something my mom never purchased at the store and therefore never served. This recipe is rich and indulgent with a blend of cheeses that create a creamy, savory masterpiece. Adding crispy fried shallots or crumbled bacon to the breadcrumb topping gives it a savory, satisfying crunch. The blend of cheeses—Velveeta for creaminess, Gruyere for nuttiness, Cheddar for sharpness, and Colby Jack for that buttery melt—makes all the difference.

Read more