If thereās anything better than a big, melty scoop of caramel ice cream, I donāt know what it could be. On second thought, I take that back. How about a big scoop of caramel ice doused with lots of warm chocolate sauce and sprinkled with toasted pecans? To make this ice cream the most perfect caramel ice cream youāll ever eat, itās crucial to cook the sugar until itās dark amber in color and as close toābut just shy ofāburnt as possible. I call it ātaking it right to the edge.ā I like the flavor of the ice cream made with the larger amount of salt, but because some people are salt sensitive, the recipe says to start with less, then taste the custard and add more if desired. No matter how long itās frozen, this caramel ice cream stays scoopably soft, a big relief to those of us who are irked by homemade ice cream that freezes rock-solid and delays immediate gratification.
Before preparing this recipe, see Caramelization Guidelines, page 265.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 quart (1 liter)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Spread the sugar in an even layer in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar begins to melt around the edges. Using a heatproof utensil, slowly drag the liquified sugar to the center and stir gently until all the sugar is melted. Continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until the caramel turns dark amber in color and begins to foam a bit. Remove from the heat and immediately add the milk. The caramel will bubble up vigorously, then the bubbling will subside.
Step 2
Set the saucepan over low heat, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, and stir until almost all of the hardened caramel has dissolved into the milk. A few bits may remain, but donāt worry; theyāll melt later on.
Step 3
Pour the cream into a medium bowl and set a mesh strainer across the top.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm caramel mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the heavy cream. Stir in the vanilla, then taste, and add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt, if desired.
Step 5
Set the bowl containing the custard over a larger bowl of ice water. Stir the custard until cool, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Step 6
Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturerās instructions.
Variations
Step 7
Although wonderful by itself, caramel ice cream is also a perfect base for mix-ins such as chopped chocolate or candy bars, bits of broken caramel, crumbled brownies, or toasted nuts. Stir in 1 to 2 cups (100 to 200 g) just after churning.
Step 8
I often substitute 1 cup (240 g) of sour cream or crĆØme fraĆ®che for the cream in this recipe. If you use crĆØme fraĆ®che, be sure to cool and freeze the ice cream mixture within a few hours. If you leave it overnight, the crĆØme fraĆ®cheās culture may make the mixture too tangy.
