Wattleseed Ice Cream with Homemade Macadamia Nut Cookies - nuts

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the cookies: Place the nuts on a small baking sheet and place in the oven.
• Roast until golden, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool.
• Using a small food processor, grind the nuts.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer filled with a paddle on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Cream the mixture until it is smooth and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, mixing in between each addition.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Beat for 1 minute and add the vanilla.
• Combine the flour, ground nuts and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and mix well.
• Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it is fully incorporated.
• Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.
• Generously dust a large sheet of parchment or waxed paper with flour.
• Spoon the dough down the center of the paper, fold the paper tightly over the dough, and roll into a cylinder about 3 inches in diameter and 12 to 14 inches long.
• Refrigerate for 8 hours.
• Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel away the paper.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
• Place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
• Remove the cookies from the pan using a spatula or thin knife.
• Repeat the process until all of the dough is used.
• Yield: 2 1/2 dozen
• For the ice cream:
• In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the half-and-half, powdered wattleseed, vanilla, wattleseed extract, sugar, and salt, over medium heat.
• Bring the cream to the boiling point and scald it.
• Remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg yolks in a bowl.
• Add the cream mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, to the beaten eggs, whisking in between each addition, until all is used.
• Pour the mixture into a saucepan, and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
• Pour the filling into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer?s instructions for churning time.
• Yield: about 1/2 gallon
• Spoon the ice cream into serving dishes and serve with the cookies.