Caramel Ice Cream

Last Saturday was another supper club and I decided to do a New American menu. What is more American than apple pie? Well, I didn't make an apple pie but I did do an apple, pear and cranberry crisp and served some homemade caramel ice cream on top. This ice cream was the fan favorite of the night.

I'm a beginner ice cream maker. In fact, I don't even have a machine. But I managed to borrow one for a co-worker and she gave me some helpful tips about freeze time and flavors she loves. I decided that caramel would be the best match for the crisp so I looked around for a recipe and found this one on Epicurious. I always read the comments left by other cooks that have made the recipes in the past. You can really learn from their trials and tribulations so I decided to take a majority of their advice and go with 6 yolks instead of 8. Boy, they were right. 6 yolks is rich enough. This ice cream is certainly an indulgence but isn't that what life is about?

Homemade Caramel Ice Cream

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks

Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds into large saucepan; add bean. Add sugar and 1/4 cup water and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve, about 4 minutes. Add milk; bring to simmer. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk caramel mixture into yolks. Return custard to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into large bowl; refrigerate until cold.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to covered container and freeze until firm.

Caramel Ice Cream