Makes 1 quart

Yes! Drop the burning piece of wood into the cream! It will delight your sixth sense in a way you’ve never experienced. Use wood chips or a piece of your favorite smoking wood. I am using cherrywood because, sadly, my cherry tree died this year, but you could use apple, hickory, or oak. Each one will lend a different smoky profile.

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Charred CherryWood Ice Cream

Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 2- inch piece of clean cherrywood or 1 cup wood chips
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Instructions

  • Pour cream and milk into a large bowl. Heat the wood over a fire until it’s engulfed in flames—I did this standing over my gas grill. If using wood chips, light a fire in a metal pan you don’t mind scorching. Extinguish wood or chips in the cream mixture and allow it to infuse for 20–30 minutes, then remove wood and discard.
  • Add egg yolks, sugar, and salt to the infused cream and whisk. Transfer to a saucepot and heat on medium high, turning down the heat when the mixture starts to warm and the cream mixture has barely thickened. Continue to whisk continuously, being very careful not to curdle the eggs. As the cream warms through, remove pan from heat and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes; it will continue cooking off the heat.
  • Pour custard mixture into a bowl, and allow to cool. For the best texture, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Process the ice cream in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and churn until the cream starts to thicken. Stir in the toasted pecans while the mixture is still soft. Remove the ice cream from the machine, transfer it to a covered container, and freeze.