The Delicious Crescent

0 Dissolve corn starch in ½ cup milk and stir well until smooth. Take the remaining milk in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and whisk in the corn starch-milk mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer until it reaches a thin custard consistency or coats the back of a spoon. 
2 Stir in maple syrup. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool on an ice bath (by setting the saucepan in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water).
3 Add vanilla, salt and heavy cream. Stir until well combined.
4 Chill the mixture in refrigerator for several hours/overnight or over an ice bath.
5 If making plain maple ice cream, freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
With Maple Pecans
7 If adding the nuts, you can make candied pecans while chilling the ice cream base.
8 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake it in the center rack until lightly toasted, about [timer minutes=8]8 to 10 minutes[/timer]. Allow to cool.
9 In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup with pecans and salt, using a wooden spoon, and over medium heat stir well. Continue to cook until the nuts are well coated with maple syrup, starts to caramelize and dry up in the bottom of the pan, about [timer minutes=2]2 to 3 minutes[/timer]. Transfer the candied nuts to a plate, allow to cool completely and chop the nuts coarsely.
10 Add the chopped pecans in the end just when the ice cream is starting to set.