Decadent Beyond Belief

It isn't often you'll see me use the word 'decadent.' Typically, when with a group of people gets together and is eating very chocolatey brownies, etc., everyone around me is saying 'wow this is decadent,' but I am the girl in the corner saying 'this doesn't taste like anything!' Perhaps my tastebuds are too used-to sugars and sweets... regardless, it's obvious that it takes a lot for me to be impressed with a dessert. Today, I was blown away.

I decided to make salted caramel ice cream, a recipe I found in the current (August 2009) issue of Gourmet magazine. To date, I have never tasted anything like this!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients, etc.:

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
  • 2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • Equipment: an ice cream maker
Procedure:
  1. Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.
  2. Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionaly.
  4. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
  5. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
  6. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.
Cooks’ note: Ice cream keeps 1 week.

5 comments:

tif said...

what the WHAT! this isn't nearly as decadent as other recipe's i've made that call for nearly 6 eggs! this sounds divine and enough to make sometime soon this summer! Thanks for posting.

Michele said...

Oh Tif, you must start a food blog as well... I am so interested in learning all of your great recipes! ;)

Michele said...

I just snuck a fully frozen bite and wowzie wowzie... This flavor is out of this world!

Julie at Belle Vivir said...

Delicious.


Your blog has the three top favorite things in my list. Thank you for your nice comment.

Nette said...

Love the sweet and salty mixture!