I haven’t failed to notice that I’ve been sharing a lot of cake and tart and cake recipes lately, so today I’ve got something a little different for you – ice cream!
I’m super sad to report that I think our summer/warm weather is officially over. It’s time for me to stop living in denial, ditch my ballet flats and face the fact that it is definitely boot weather already.
But let me live in my summer fantasy just a little longer to share this post with you. Because in the summertime, if I get to choose what we’re having for dessert, I choose ice cream. Always! (Cookies are for cold, snuggly winter evenings!)
This particular ice cream has all my favourite bits – coffee ice cream, gooey, sticky, salted caramel, and a few macadamias for a little crunch.
I’ve made a creme fraiche salted caramel which is so lovely. The creme fraiche adds a beautiful richness and tanginess to the caramel. If you can’t get your hands on it, you can always use a standard cream + butter recipe, which you can find here.
We will be back to the regular cake programme next time, because it was Mr Man’s birthday last week and I made him two (yes TWO!! Someone’s spoilt!) birthday cakes that I’ve been asked to share, so stay tuned. X
- FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE:
- 1½ cup milk (375ml)
- ¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar (150g)
- 1½ cups whole coffee beans
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups cream (375ml)
- 5 egg yolks
- FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL:
- 200g caster (superfine) sugar
- 60g water
- 230g creme fraiche
- 1 tsp sea salt
- OPTIONAL MIX-INS:
- ½ cup macadamias, roasted and finely chopped
- Put the milk, sugar, coffee beans, ½ cup cream and salt in a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over a high heat and bring the milk to just under the boil.
- Remove from the heat, cover the pot and set aside to infuse for an hour.
- Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large heatproof bowl. Place a strainer over the cream and set aside.
- In a separate medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks lightly. Slowly pour the infused milk into the yolks, whisking the entire time, until combined.
- Return this mixture to the pot and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture reaches 82 C (180 F) or until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and pour through the strainer into the cream. Discard the coffee beans.
- Stir the custard and cream together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold (preferably overnight).
- Meanwhile, make the salted caramel.
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, cook the sugar and water over a high heat, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber colour.
- As the mixture is heating, brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to stop sugar crystals forming.
- Turn off the heat and slowly and carefully add the creme fraiche while whisking to prevent any lumps from forming. Whisk in the sea salt.
- Pour the caramel in a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Once the ice cream custard is cold, churn in your ice cream maker.
- Pour one third of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and top with a third of the caramel and a third of the macadamias. Repeat the layering process until all the elements have been used up.
- Freeze the ice cream to set it, then enjoy. Makes 2 litres + mix ins.
- Happy baking!
Ice cream recipe adapted from David Lebovitz via Simply Recipes.
Caramel recipe adapted from Recette.