Makes 1½ quarts
¼ cup sugar
1 cup water
1½ to 2 cups chopped cherries, pits removed
1½ cups whole milk
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (or combination of both)
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
½ to ¾ cup toasted pecans, chopped
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine ¼ cup sugar with 1 cup water; boil until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add chopped cherries and let sit 30 minutes. Strain, discard liquid and set cherries aside. If not using immediately, refrigerate.
In a heavy, 2-quart saucepan, combine milk, cream, extract and salt to create a custard. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around edges, about 5 minutes.
While custard is heating, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add about half a cup of heated custard to egg mixture to temper the eggs, whisk to combine, then add this egg mixture to the heated custard. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and keeping at a simmer, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 3–4 minutes. Do not let custard boil.
Strain custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and water (but not so full that water will run over into the custard). Stir custard occasionally, allowing time for it to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
To freeze, pour the custard into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add cherries and chopped nuts to nearly frozen custard about 5–10 minutes before removing from the machine. Transfer to a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.