Date Ice Cream with Almond Crunch Topping

FOR TOPPING: Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment (baking) paper.

In a bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds and almonds and stir to mix. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the vegetable oil, honey, apple juice and salt and stir until combined, the salt has dissolved and the mixture is warm. Pour the warm honey mixture over the oat mixture and toss to coat evenly. Spread out the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool, then pack in a small airtight container and place in a freezer until needed.

FOR ICE CREAM: Pour the milk into a saucepan and place over low heat. Heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until only 1 cup remains, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Remove the pits from the dates and chop into pea-sized pieces. Place half of the pieces on a plate and place in the freezer until needed. Place the remaining date pieces in a blender, add the cooled milk and purée until smooth.

In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and brown sugar and whisk vigorously until lemon colored. In a saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a rolling boil and immediately pour over the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Add the date-milk mixture and the vanilla, mix well and set aside to cool completely.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stir the reserved date pieces into the ice cream and pack into a freezer container. Place in the freezer until set, 2-4 hours.

TO SERVE: Scoop into chilled ice cream dishes, top with the almond crunch topping and serve at once.