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1
Preheat the oven to 300u00b0F.
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2
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until slightly frothy. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla and whisk very well to combine. Add the pecans, if using, and stir to coat.
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3
Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through, until the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly; do not overbake. Let cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate.
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4
Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
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5
Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
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6
Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
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7
Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
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8
Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
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9
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. Stir in the moonshine.
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10
Remove the frozen canister from the freezer, assemble your ice cream machine, and turn it on. Pour the ice cream base into the canister and spin until thick and creamy.
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11
Pack the ice cream into a storage container, layering in the pecans and custard as you go. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
