Jersey Milk and Honey Ice Cream with Candied Walnuts

**Prepare the Candied Walnuts:** Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the walnuts, sugar, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts evenly. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, roughly chop the candied walnuts.

**Make the Ice Cream Custard:** In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the Jersey milk and Jersey heavy cream. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and local honey until light and pale.

Slowly drizzle a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. This prevents the eggs from curdling.

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear line when you run your finger across it. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Do not boil.

Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (if using).

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. This removes any lumps or cooked egg bits.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the custard to chill completely.

**Churn the Ice Cream:** Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

**Add the Candied Walnuts:** During the last few minutes of churning, add the chopped candied walnuts to the ice cream maker. This will distribute them evenly throughout the ice cream.

**Freeze and Serve:** Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours to harden further before serving. Let the ice cream soften slightly at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping.