Bourbon Pecan Praline Ice Cream

ASSEMBLE THE BOURBON ICE CREAM BASE:

1. Mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the softened cream cheese and salt. Use a hand mixer to blend well and set aside.
3. In a large 4 quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry mixture.
4. Return the milk mixture to medium high heat and bring back to a boil while stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
5. Pour about ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mix and use the hand mixer to blend it smooth. Continue to slowly add the milk to the cream cheese mixture, blending constantly.
6. Add the bourbon and stir to combine. Let the milk mixture cool for about 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

TOAST THE PECANS:

1. Heat the oven to 350°
2. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until they're toasted and fragrant, about 8-12 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Roughly chop the pecans and pralines into about ½" pieces. You will add these to the bourbon ice cream mixture about 2-3 minutes before the ice cream is done.

CHURN THE ICE CREAM

1. Set up your ice cream maker. Add the ice cream mixture to the container and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. Churn the ice cream until 2-3 minutes before it's done (my Cuisinart ice cream maker takes 20-25 minutes, when the ice cream starts to pull away from the sides of the cannister).

ADD THE TOASTED PECANS AND PRALINES:

1. Pour in the chopped pecans and pralines and churn until the pieces are evenly distributed throughout the ice cream, about 2-3 minutes longer. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer container and freeze for four hours or overnight.