A rich and flavorful ice cream, soft and easy to scoop from rum.
Gently heat the dates with the rum. Let fruit soak overnight.
Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a heavy pot over medium heat. Place egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk milk into egg yolks gradually, so that the egg yolks do not cook or curdle.
Return the mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens and coats a spoon.
Pour the custard into a bowl containing the heavy cream. (Lebovitz recommends pouring the custard through a strainer, which is a good idea if you’re concerned it might not be smooth.) Add vanilla and rum.
If desired, cool mixture over an ice bath. Place ice cream mixture in the fridge, and chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours.
Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last 5 minutes of churning, add dates (with soaking liquid) and pecans.
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop