I admit it. I have a problem. I am addicted to pumpkin and I don't care who knows it!

It's been awhile since I've posted guys and I've missed you. This time change has got me all screwed up! I'm never home in the daylight hours to photograph sweet treats. I even had to crawl out of my warm, comfy, cozy bed early this morning to get in a few shots of this dairy free frozen dessert before heading off to work. Life. is. hard. Am I right? Is anyone else as effected by daylight savings as I am? Am I crazy? Probably both.

It was pretty much cold as a freezer in New York this weekend so of course I was craving something that would make my insides as cold as my outsides. It may sound strange, but I seriously crave cold treats when I am cold. Who does that? "Oh, it's cold enough for snow? Give me a popsicle!" I'm a nut. A nut who loves candied nuts. This post is getting weird... I guess this is what happens when you put off writing for awhile and you give yourself brain freeze.

Sadly, over the past couple years I've developed a slight intolerance for my favorite creamy confection; lactose. To get around those pesky tummy-aches I can either chew up a few Lactaid pills or I can whip up a little dairy free ice cream. i've experiment with everything from almond milk, soy creamer, to lactose-free dairy but in my experience coconut milk makes the creamiest substitute. While some flavors are not strong enough to mask that coconut flavor, the canned pumpkin swirls perfectly to create a rich pumpkin pie taste.

And the candied pecans? Well, let me just say we're lucky I saved a few for these photographs. They were so good fresh out of the oven I burned my mouth and I continued to sneak a couple nuts every time I walked by the batch that before I knew it half of them were gone. Oops. They were the perfect compliment to the pumpkin ice cream but they'd also be a delicious addition to a wine and cheese platter, topping on a sweet potato casserole, or incorporated into an ice cream during the churning progress. Candied pecans are pretty much my new favorite fall snack.

Now go bake up some nuts and whisk together some ice cream!

Candied Pecans

1/2 lb pecans
1 egg
2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250°F. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl combine whisk together water and egg until well combined. In another small bowl mix together sugar and spices. Dump your pile of pecans into the egg mixture and toss until all the nuts are well coated. Pour your sugar and spice mixture over the pecans and toss again until everything is covered in yumminess. Spread evenly in baking sheet.

Bake the nuts in the oven for one hour, tossing the nuts every 15 minutes to ensure even baking. The pecans are ready when they are no longer sticky and the spice mixture gets crumbly. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. You will burn your mouth. Trust me.

Coconut Milk Pumpkin Ice Cream

1 25 oz can (3 cups) full fat coconut milk, chilled
1 14 oz can of pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

This is probably the simplest ice cream recipe ever. First, chill our coconut milk and pumpkin in the refrigerator overnight. Then, in a large bowl whisk together the coconut milk and pumpkin until dissolved. This took me about two minutes. Next, whisk in your brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for twenty minutes. Place ice cream in an air-tight container and freeze for at least three hours before serving. Remove from the freezer twenty minutes before serving. In my experience, the coconut milk takes longer to defrost that heavy cream. Enjoy topped with candied pecans or on its own!