Recipe: Burnt Caramel Ice Cream

The sophisticated, bitter edge of this burnt caramel ice cream is often too much for young taste buds, but its dark, salty-sweet richness makes adults swoon, especially when served between two gingerbread cookies as a grown-up ice cream sandwich.

The trick to both caramel and custard is gentle heat and a commitment to either stirring constantly or stirring very little. Unlike custard which needs constant movement to prevent lumps and burning, caramel benefits from a certain level of benign neglect. Instead of stirring, wait until the sugar starts to melt around the sides, then use your wooden spoon to gently draw the molten edges into the center. When the sugar is mostly melted, feel free to crush up any lingering clumps of sugar, though they will usually dissolve on their own. If at any point your caramel seizes up, never fear. Simply place it back on low heat, wait for things to loosen back up and try again. -Pola

Burnt Caramel Ice Cream
In a large pan over medium-low heat, make a dark caramel by cooking the sugar until liquid and just about to scorch. When caramel has turned a dark reddish brown and has begun to smoke, immediately remove from heat and stir in salt. Mix in butter until melted, followed by half the cream, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any hardened sugar.
 * 325g sugar
 * 50g butter
 * 3/4 tsp sea salt
 * 500ml cream
 * 200ml milk
 * 5 egg yolks, beaten
 * 1 tsp vanilla

To make the custard, temper the eggs by pouring about 100ml of the caramel over the beaten yolks, stirring constantly so the yolks don't curdle.Whisk the egg mixture into the caramel and add remaining cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and coats the back of a spoon, about two minutes or until it reaches 165F,

Remove from heat and stir in milk and vanilla. Strain if desired and let cool to room temperature before chilling for at least eight hours. You may hard freeze this ice cream if you wish but an ice cream maker makes for superior results. I find this recipe benefits in taste and texture from ripening overnight so try to give it at least a few hours in the freezer post-churning, though no one would fault you for sneaking a spoon or two for quality control.