Friday, July 6, 2012

ICE CREAM FOR GROWNUPS


(Texters' names crossed out to protect identities and avoid embarrassment at work.)

The text thread above was about round one. Round two (that I served to eight people) didn't work out so well. It was sickly sweet because the ice cream and caramel mixed and melted together.

Here's a glimpse at round three and what I learned:

Whatever you do, don't stir the caramel and chocolate almond chunks into the vanilla ice cream. Instead, drizzle the caramel and sprinkle the chocolate almond chunks over the top of the just-churned ice cream. And then gently press the goodies down into the soft ice cream pillow. Freeze until hella firm. Then scoop with care. Hopefully you will get a swirl of caramel and a bitter pop of chocolate and a salty crunch of almonds in each creamy bite.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE ALMOND CARAMEL SWIRL ICE CREAM
(a few alternate recipe names in text thread above)
serves a few people if you're lucky

1/2 cup caramel sauce, refrigerated
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups half and half
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped out
pinch salt

Make caramel sauce. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

In a double boiler (or over very low heat), melt chocolate. Turn off heat and stir in almonds and salt. Spread on a piece of parchment on a sheet pan. Freeze. When solid, pry chocolate off of parchment. Chop into pea-sized chunks. Freeze until needed.

Prepare an ice bath. Place a fine strainer over a medium-sized bowl. Immerse bottom of bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice and water. Set aside.

Whisk together half and half, yolks, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring cream and vanilla bean to just under the boil. Remove from heat and slowly whisk into half and half/yolk mixture. Place back on medium heat. Stir the whole time with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly. It's done when you drag your finger across the back of the spoon and it leaves a trail.

Pour mixture through the strainer into the bowl that's over the ice bath. Leave bowl in the bath until the custard is cool. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Freeze a container for the finished ice cream (I used a loaf pan). Freeze ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions. Place ice cream in cold container. Drizzle caramel and chocolate almond chunks over the top. Use a spoon to press caramel and chunks down into the ice cream. Do not stir. Freeze for a few hours or over night. Carefully scoop so as not to mix in the caramel.

25 comments:

  1. OMG! I think I'll agree with the sex on a hot summer night in manhattan statement ;-) and I haven't even tried the ice cream lol. I really need an ice cream maker... it is so freakin hot out here!!!

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    Replies
    1. oh it sounds so miserable out there! i won't tell you the temperature here today. that would be cruel.

      do you know about david lebovitz's no-machine method? http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/07/making-ice-crea-1/

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    2. No, I didn't. I'll check it out. Thanks!

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  2. This looks absolutely incredible! I have to try the chocolate almond chunks (and the ice cream and caramel, obviously).

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  3. I want a bite too! "Stoner succotash" friggin' rocks!
    Miss you,
    E

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yup. stoner succotash. that was my husband. miss you too!

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  4. That's it. I fucking love you! Okay, I feel better getting that out there. ;)

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    Replies
    1. and i fucking love your comment. thanks, kara!

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  5. This looks amazing.
    And I absolutely love your posts.

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    Replies
    1. thank you, sarah. and i loved checking out your blog. so beautiful.

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  6. Not only does this ice cream look absolutely unfreaking believably great, I love your post!!

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    Replies
    1. thanks, aggie! and congratulations on babble mom blogger list. awesome!

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  7. Love the ice cream pics! I'm going to try this ice cream creation soon.

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  8. best.post.ever.

    love that you included their texts! i'm making this this weekend and cannot wait!

    once again ... your recipes and posts knock my socks off (or at least, make my pants tight. good thing i like shopping.).

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    Replies
    1. thanks, christi! i'm glad you like the texts. it cracked me up.

      and yes. my pants have been tighter lately too. too much creme fraiche, tarts, and ice cream!

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  9. This looks very tempting! I came across your blog through Pinterst. I had to do a search on your blog to see if Dash was short for Dashiell. Yippi-skippi! Our younger son's name is Dashiell too! He is 17-months old. It is a bit of a long story on how we named him, but the name essentially came from a G.I. Joe character's original name, his nickname was Flint. Along with my husband being a huge G.I. Joe fan, he is an avid reader, and says that he thinks that character was named after Dashiell Hammett. When I was pregnant with our Dash, I came across Dashiell in a crossword puzzle, and I had heard the name several times before, it seemed like it was meant to be. Anyhow, thought it was neat I came across a blog with a Dash/Dashiell. :)

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  10. Wow. WHAT is that gorgeous dish holding the ice cream? It's a perfect shape-

    Also: I love your writing. Love. It.

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    1. thank you!

      and so funny that you asked about the dish. i just broke it the other day! i was super fucking bummed. it's from a tiny japanese store in venice beach called tortoise.

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    2. Ah- I get to Venice about once every 2-3 years (from just east of downtown), so maybe I'll check out Little Tokyo for a similar one.

      Tortoise- that's the little store at the end of a windy stone path that has tons of little carved anaimals in the front? everything displayed like a curated exhibit? I have a hard time buying anything in stores like that- something about the way everything is displayed like a jewel makes it harder to figure out if I like any one thing better than all the others. That probably doesn't make sense.

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  11. wow. it's really a good contribution to us guys not good at icecream, you know i did some cakes before but the taste it's not good, then i quit, so if you have interesting, you can load to catier pendents

    visit my new make up, give me your advice, Thanks!

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