Mostly Semantics

So, caramel is delicious. It’s sweet, just a little salty, and considering that it’s pretty much burned sugar… remarkably complex. And ice cream. Ice cream is amazing. So caramel ice cream studded with little bits of crispy caramel goodness? Yeah, that probably shouldn’t be legal.

This was my thinking before I made the stuff. If possible, I’m even more fanatical about it now. I made it to finish off this year’s inaugural smoked meat dinner, and had 10 or 12 people over. Hunched over the bowl, stealing tastes of the still-cooling custard at 3am, we knew the ice cream would be good. When the ice cream finally froze, it actually exceeded expectation. Just. Wow. It’s like a cold, creamy version of those little candies in the shiny gold wrappers… minus the creepy old man from the commercials. I couldn’t resist: as each guest arrived, I drug them to the corner of my kitchen, opened the freezer, and doled out a single precious spoonful. All swooned, closed their eyes, or sighed approvingly. One said, in a rather accusatory tone: “this is pure butterscotch!” No, it’s better.

It’s also the first time I’ve successfully made caramel. It’s not supposed to be difficult, making caramel, but again and again, I’m thwarted in my attempts. It doesn’t dissolve, it’s strangely oily, it won’t firm up, it seizes rock solid… there is always something. But not with this recipe. This recipe calls for making caramel not once, but twice, so was rife with potential failure… but was perfection.

It’s also super, super rich, so I was looking for something to complement it, without inducing sugar shock on the second bite. I found it in the only blondie recipe you’ll ever need, from one Smitten Kitchen. In short order, this recipe has become a go-to standard. It’s endlessly variable (this time I added bourbon, mashed bananas, cinnamon, white and bittersweet chocolate chips), as close to foolproof as it gets, and did I mention delicious? So good, in fact, that it merits its own post… coming soon.

But back to the ice cream…

The recipe is straight from one Dave Lebovitz. I made it almost exactly as directed. My only change was using plain old kosher salt instead of the chi chi fleur de sel… and it was still lovely. I wouldn’t try plain old table salt though. Iodine ice cream doesn’t sound nearly so delicious. Also, I love salt, so the word “scant” rarely applies to my use of the stuff. This recipe was no different. I used a solid ½ teaspoon for the custard, and nearly a full teaspoon in the praline.

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

For the caramel praline (mix-in)
½ cup (100 gr) sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt, such as fleur de sel (or kosher salt)

For the ice cream custard
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1½ cups (300 gr) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the caramel praline, spread the ½ cup (100 gr) of sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy duty saucepan: I use a 6 quart/liter pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or brush it sparingly with unflavored oil.

Vermonstrous NOTE: He does mean sparingly. I used cooking spray, and a bit too much, so my caramel slid around the sheet in a stubborn glob, resisting most of my efforts to spread it into a thin layer.

2. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.) Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it’s just about to burn. It won’t take long.

Vermonstrous NOTE: This is probably obvious to all who are not me. I’ll say it anyway: you’ll likely want to have some sort of potholder of oven mitt handy here. I didn’t, and I have the molten-sugar burn to prove it.

3. Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don’t even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

4. To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

5. Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in Step #2.

6. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.

Vermonstrous NOTE: I think the key here is *gradually*. I added barely more than a few teaspoons worth of cream at a time, stirring until fully incorporated and the steaming/bubbling/hissing settled down before repeating, and it came together beautifully.

7. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

8. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

9. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

10. While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch, or 1 cm). I use a mortar and pestle, although you can make your own kind of music using your hands or a rolling pin.

11. Once your caramel ice cream is churned, quickly stir in the crushed caramel, then chill in the freezer until firm.

Lebovitz Note: As the ice cream sits, the little bits of caramel may liquefy and get runny and gooey, which is what they’re intended to do.

Vermonstrous NOTE: if you don’t stir the bits in, but instead layer them on the bottom of your freezer container and pour the ice cream over them, you’ll end up with a super rich and delicious caramel layer underneath the creamy caramel ice cream goodness.

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