This Ice Cream Could Heat Up Your Romance

Chocolate cake may be the obvious choice for a Valentine’s Day celebration, but ice cream is so much sexier.

Put a slice of cake on a plate and lovers discreetly nibble it. But just notice what happens when you set out a carton of ice cream: two spoons dive in, twisting, tangling and scooping up the rich, creamy contents in unison. It’s a shared experience, without the crumbs.

With that in mind, here’s a very romantic and delicious recipe for ice cream. It starts with a rich coffee ice cream base. Then chocolate-coated pecans and espresso beans are stirred in - all the better for discovering together. The ice cream can be made up to two days in advance or at the last minute.

As a shortcut to this sensuous dessert, make the coffee beans and pecans and fold into a softened pint of good-quality, store-bought ice cream. Those who don’t like coffee can try rum raisin, vanilla fudge or plain vanilla.

Once the ingredients are added, the ice cream can be returned to the freezer for a few hours, but should be eaten that day before the texture changes.

Coffee-Pecan Ice Cream

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons espresso or coffee beans

1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

Dash ground cinnamon

Dash salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 heaping tablespoon freeze-dried coffee

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water or in microwave-safe bowl on medium (50 percent power) 45 to 75 seconds. Divide chocolate mixture into 2 small bowls. To one bowl add espresso beans and to the second, the pecans. Stir each mixture well.

Place sheet of wax paper on baking sheet. Drop chocolate-covered beans by half teaspoonfuls onto paper. Then drop nuts by half-teaspoonfuls onto paper. Place in refrigerator while making ice cream.

Combine cream and milk in heavy-bottomed pan. Scald mixture. Remove from heat.

Stir together egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and salt in bowl. Mixture will be very grainy. Pour a little of cream mixture into yolk mixture to warm it up. Stir well, then pour yolk mixture into pan. Cook over low heat until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and freeze-dried coffee. Chill in refrigerator until cold, 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Process mixture in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. During last 30 seconds that batch is being mixed, stir in chocolate-covered espresso beans and pecans.

Yield: About 3 cups ice cream (6 virtuous or 3 indulgent servings).

Note: If desired, use decaffeinated espresso and freeze-dried coffee.

Even if you don’t have an ice cream machine or an interest in making your own ice cream, the coffeecustard base, without the chocolatecovered pecans and beans, makes a great sauce for pound cake or a fine dessert served plain. Serve warm as a sauce or pour into 2 parfait glasses and chill.

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