The New Orleans - Mardi Gras - Baked Occasions

This recipe is one that I have looked forward to for a while. Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts by far. I have made a similar style of ice cream from Emeril Lagasse that was very good. This ice cream was even better than that. It is so rich with five egg yolks and heavy cream. I had hopes that Hubby would actually try this one because he enjoys ice cream too when it doesn't have too much chocolate.

This recipe took some time to put together since there were many steps involved. Making the pralines and the caramel sauce were not difficult steps, just time-consuming. I ended up making those items early afternoon on day 1, then I made the ice cream that evening. On day 2 I completed the cake by making the graham cracker layers and assembling the ice cream cake. Then it was ready to be eaten on day 3. The recipe could be condensed and made in fewer days than I took, but this is how it worked best for me.

I opted not to decorate the cake with pecans on the side since I didn't want the ice cream to melt too much. Instead, I drizzled the remainder of the caramel sauce on the top and put a ring of pralines around the edge. I was very happy with the look and felt that the edges can out very neatly and did not need to be covered anyway.

This dessert is just fantastic! Just the thing to have as a feast right before going for 40 days without indulgences. I have not generally given up anything for Lent as a habit, but I do plan on attending Ash Wednesday services at church tomorrow and get ready for a time of preparation for Easter.

The recipe and thoughts from other bakers can be found at Baked Sunday Mornings here.

Timing: Recipe States: doesn't say, My Actual Timing: 73 minutes preparation, then 3 hours waiting to add more layers
Servings: Recipe States: 16 servings
                Servings For My Family: 10 servings, but my pan was smaller than suggested
Leftovers: It was still great as a leftover.


Family Ratings:
Me: This dessert was incredible. The ice cream was definitely the best part.
Hubby:
Big Man: He was skeptical at first because caramel is not his favorite, but then he thought it was great.
Bear: Bear did not want to try it because of the caramel.
Mr. T: Mr. T couldn't get enough of this dessert.

Will I repeat:Absolutely!

What will I change: Nothing. However, I would make the ice cream by itself and not bother turning it into the cake.