Big Gay Ice Cream's Whiskey Walnuts
Of all the ice cream options in New York City, Big Gay Ice Cream is undoubtedly your best bet. What, do you not like sparkly unicorns on your walls and blueberry balsamic sauce on your cone? Dive into founders and co-owners Bryan and Douglas's sweet world with their first cookbook full of recipes, techniques and stories from the ice cream shop that has charmed the pants off ice cream lovers worldwide. And hey, some drunk walnuts found their way into dessert!
Big Gay Ice Cream's Whiskey Walnuts
Servings
2
cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup whiskey
- Dash of coarse sea salt
Directions
- Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
- Scatter the walnuts on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 2 minutes. Toss and bake for another 2 minutes, or until they have just begun to brown. (Burnt walnuts taste very bitter, so it’s better to err on the conservative side.) Remove the walnuts from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Roughly chop the walnuts (save that dusty powder) and set aside.
- Heat the corn syrup and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the whiskey.
- The mixture will foam up for a spell, but keep stirring. Add the sea salt and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts, including that powder. Allow to cool slightly—the mixture will be very hot!
- Spoon the warm wet walnuts over your favorite ice cream and dig in! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks; reheat before serving.