Creamy vanilla ice cream with salted caramel and toasted pecans (no machine)

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Once it's warm, add the pecans. Toast them for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or shaking the skillet. You need to be vigilant – the nuts can easily burn. They will be ready when they start to smell fragrant and lightly brown. Immediately remove them from the skillet and transfer to a cold plate to stop the toasting process. Allow to cool completely, then chop coarsely with a sharp knife into smaller pieces.

Pour the sugar evenly into a saucepan with a thick, light-colored bottom. Place it on a medium heat burner. Do not stir the sugar at the beginning! Patiently wait for it to start melting and changing color to amber at the edges. You can only gently swirl the saucepan to help the sugar melt evenly. Once most of the sugar is liquid, you can gently stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the last crystals. Reduce the heat to the minimum.

When the caramel reaches a beautiful amber color, remove it from the heat for a moment. Add the diced butter. Note – the mixture will start to bubble and splatter vigorously! Stir vigorously and continuously until the butter is completely melted and combined with the caramel, creating a smooth emulsion. Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan, heat 120 ml of heavy cream until hot, but not boiling.

Place the saucepan with the caramel back on the lowest heat. Very slowly, in a thin stream, pour in the hot cream, stirring vigorously all the while. The mixture will start bubbling again. Stir until the sauce is uniform and smooth. Cook for another minute, then remove from heat. Add the sea salt and mix well. Pour the caramel into a jar or bowl and set aside to cool completely. It will thicken significantly as it cools.

In a large, chilled bowl, pour in 500 ml of very cold heavy cream. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Start whipping on medium speed, and when the cream begins to thicken, increase the speed to high. Whip until you achieve what is known as stiff peaks – that is, when you lift the beaters, distinct, sharp peaks form at their ends that do not fall. Be careful not to overwhip the cream (to avoid making butter).

In a separate, smaller bowl, pour the entire contents of the can of condensed milk. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Now add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the condensed milk and gently but vigorously fold with a spatula to loosen the mixture. Then transfer the entire condensed milk mixture to the bowl with the remaining whipped cream.

Using a silicone spatula, very gently combine both mixtures. Perform what is known as folding, scooping the mixture from the bottom of the bowl and placing it on top. Rotate the bowl while mixing. Mix only until a uniform, smooth, and fluffy mixture is formed without visible streaks of condensed milk. Try not to mix for too long to avoid losing volume.

Prepare a freezing container, preferably a metal loaf pan with a capacity of about 1.5 liters. Spread 1/3 of the prepared ice cream base on the bottom and smooth the surface with a spatula. Pour blobs of about 1/3 of the cooled caramel sauce over the mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped, toasted pecans. Repeat the process two more times, creating three layers.

Once all the layers are in the dish, take a knife or a skewer and gently 'scratch' the mixture, making a few movements in the shape of an 'S' or eights. This will create beautiful, marbled patterns with the caramel without completely mixing it with the base. Don't do this too intensely; 3-4 strokes are enough. On top, you can additionally drizzle a bit of caramel and sprinkle the remaining nuts. Optionally, sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Cover the surface of the ice cream with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the mixture. This will prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface. Additionally, wrap the entire container in plastic wrap. Place the ice cream in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, until it is completely firm.