Apple Streusel Ice Cream




Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons plus 4-1/2 teaspoons cold butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped peeled Golden Delicious apple
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ICE CREAM:
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping

Directions: For streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl; cut in 3 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans.
    Press into a 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are browned. Cool slightly; break into small pieces. Cool completely.

    In a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Stir in the apple, sugar and cinnamon. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until apple is tender; cool.

    In a large saucepan, heat milk to 175° stir in sugar until dissolved. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cool. In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture; cream and vanilla. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

    Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Add apple mixture to each batch of ice cream; freeze 5 minutes longer.

 Spoon a third of the ice cream into a freezer container. Top with a third of the streusel mixture. Drizzle with a third of the caramel topping. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining ice cream. With a spatula, cut through ice cream in several places to gently swirl layers. Cover; freeze overnight. Garnish with the remaining streusel and caramel topping.
Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.  

We made this for either the 4th or Memorial day last year, and it was THE most amazing ice cream I've made/tried to date! :)  A wee bit more work, but soooo worth it!! And you can (uh, need to...read the directions!) make it ahead, which is nice...'cause then the ice cream freezer is free for other flavors!  Ha ha...I think last year we made 3 different flavors. *grin*.  Some serious ice cream eaters here.