salted caramel ice cream
+ caramel almond brittle ice cream
Salted caramel is hands down my favorite ice cream flavor. It’s perfect alone and improves almost every cake, pie, and dessert it’s paired with. Putting chunks of homemade almond brittle takes it over the top. It’s also good with chopped meringue pieces, a variation I had in Rome.
I find most caramel ice creams are far too pale to get a good caramel taste. Cooking your sugar to a deep caramel color is what gives it flavor.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cups sugar
squeeze of lemon
1/4 cup water
5 egg yolks ( save the whites for meringues or other baking)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
EQUIPMENT:
measuring cups and spoons
small pot
medium pot
whisk
bowl
strainer
ice cream scoop for serving
ice cream maker -there are 3 types of ice cream makers that you generally see for home use:
1.compressor ice cream maker- these are the closest to a professional ice cream maker, quick and easy, with a predictable result, but also the priciest , generally ranging from $250-600. I'm using this one for all of my ice creams here.
2.freezer canister ice cream makers- I think these are the most common for home use, offered individually or as attachments to appliances like mixers. I find them a bit tricky and have not found one that has given me the results I want. The one big downside is that you have to freeze the canister between each batch. But, if you’ve had success with them they are good for small batches of ice cream.
3.old fashioned electric ice cream maker -these are the kind that use ice and ice cream salt to freeze and I actually love their results and they are the cheapest option. You do need to use a lot of ice and salt and they can be a bit loud and messy but they work remarkably well. If you don’t make ice cream often or want to spend the money on a pricey compressor machine I would recommend this.
YIELD: 3 1/2 cups. ( can be doubled)
TIME: 2 hours plus spinning and freezing time
TO MAKE:
In a small pot, warm 1 cup of the cream and 1 cup milk. Separate the eggs and place the 5 yolks in a medium sized bowl. In a medium pot combine the 3/4 cup sugar, squeeze of lemon, and 1/4 cup water. Do not stir. Cook the sugar over medium heat. It will bubble, then begin to brown. When it reaches a deep caramel color remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the warm cream slowly and carefully. The mixture will bubble up. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk the mixture into the egg yolks and stir for a minute until well combined. Stir in the 1 cup cold cream. Pour the mixture through a strainer and then chill until completely cold. Stir in the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt. the salt. Spin in the ice cream maker according to its directions.
Freeze the ice cream for several hours before serving.
CARAMEL ALMOND BRITTLE ICE CREAM
Make one recipe of caramel ice cream and one recipe of nut brittle using toasted almonds.
ALMOND BRITTLE
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
In a medium sized pot over medium heat, bring the sugar, water, and butter to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to brown. Begin stirring constantly so that it browns evenly . When it reaches a caramel color , remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and salt. The mixture will bubble up. Immediately stir in the nuts and pour onto a parchment lined tray. Using a spatula, spread as thinly as possible. Cool. As soon as it is completely cool, break into pieces and keep in a sealed container.
