Saturday, August 17, 2013

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Revelation~


Announcement: This is the best ice cream I have ever made. I admit that I am in love with anything containing the words salted caramel and the rich flavor that implies. This ice cream delivered exactly what I had anticipated!

I've owned my copy of Jeni''s Splendid Ice Creams at Home since last summer and just recently brought it off the shelf again. Jeni uses an egg-less approach to ice cream using with a small amount of cream cheese and cornstarch to take it's place.


The hardest part of making this flavor is the process of melting the sugar using the dry-burn method.  You need to carefully watch the saucepan of dry sugar until it starts to slowly melt and caramelize.  You also need to be very careful when stirring the hot, sticky liquid sugar so you don't get any on yourself - but it is so worth the effort and diligence.  It was proclaimed delicious by all who tasted it.  


Add a few finely-chopped smoked almonds if you're feeling nutty ;)


On a personal note, we've been enjoying every possible moment outdoors and away from the computer to make the most of our short, Wisconsin summer. We recently returned from a trip to Manitowish Waters in northern Wisconsin where one couple in our gourmet group hosted all 10 of us for a "North Woods" gourmet at their lake retreat home. There were many fun moments, included a North Woods fish fry, a casual and delicious gourmet dinner, several pontoon boat tours of the Manitowish Waters Chain of Lakes, eagle and loon sightings, and jovial camaraderie. We won't talk about the mosquitoes!


Here's to summer ~  may it decide to stay a little longer this year :)  

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Printable Recipe
Makes approximately 1 quart of ice cream

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar (I used an organic, fair trade sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

This is a dry-burn technique without adding water to the sugar before putting it on the heat. It caramelizes faster, but watch very carefully so that it doesn't burn and have the cream ready to add.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

Whisk the room temperature cream cheese and salt in a medium, heat-proof bowl until smooth. (I used a 2 qt Pyrex bowl with spout.)

Mix the cream with the corn syrup in a large measuring cup with a spout.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Heat the sugar in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until it is melted and gold to dark amber in color. Jeni advises not touching the sugar until you see the sugar start to melt on the edges.  Then carefully stir toward the center and keep stirring until all of the sugar has melted and reaches a dark, golden amber color.

Remove from the heat and, stirring constantly, slowly add a spoonful of the cream and corn syrup mixture to the caramel: It will fizzle and pop but keep stirring until well combined, then add a little more, a little more, etc., and keep stirring until all of it is incorporated.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the milk. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.

Bring back to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. If any caramel flecks remain, pour the mixture through a sieve.

Gradually whisk the hot milk and cream mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and whisk. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Pour into frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.

Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

My Notes: Be sure to have the cornstarch mixture, cream cheese mixture, cream mixture, milk and vanilla all ready and waiting by the stove when you start to caramelize the sugar.

Also, I didn't pour the mixture into a zip-lock bag since as I didn't want to risk having melted plastic in my ice cream.  I simply poured the mixture back into a 2-qt glass heat-proof (Pyrex) container and put that in a sink of cold, icy water up to the level of the mixture. I stirred it every 5 minutes.  When cool enough, I then put it into a plastic zipper bag and refrigerated it until cold, about 45 minutes, then added it to my ice cream maker. 

76 comments:

  1. Can you beieve I have not made 1 ice cream this summer?

    This looks so good..
    Love your personal pics..
    You know J..has an uncanny resemblance to Gary Collins in that shot..
    Bet people always tell you how cute your sons are..(never do they say grandsons:) )

    J'aime les nénuphars:)

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    1. Thank you, Monique! I think they do have similar smiles. Ha-ha, we're never mistaken for their parents :) Don't I wish!

      I loved the water lilies too!

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  2. PS I meant GC in his youth..Just Googled to see how MA Mobley and he looked now..Sadly he is gone..and like many had changed over the yrs..the photo of your J is GC in his youth.

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  3. I'm such a caramel fan, I really need to take the time to make this ice cream. And I've done that dry sugar thing before and yes, it can get away from you quickly. Thanks for sharing your Summer photos. I just swatted at my first mosquito a couple of days ago, so yes, let's not talk about them. :)

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    1. I think you'll really like it, Lea Ann! It's funny, we hardly have any mosquitoes in southern Wisconsin! Strange year because normally we do.

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  4. Although I make an egg version, I feel the same way about it. Seriously my favorite ice cream. The texture is insanely good. I must try this version now!!
    Glad you've had a beautiful summer, that retreat looks like a slice of heaven!

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    1. It was a wonderful retreat, Deana. It was a great place to 'unplug'.

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  5. Sounds like an amazing ice cream Susan! And judging by the big smiles, looks you're having a great summer-enjoy:@)

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    1. It's so good, Lynn! Thanks, we had such a good time together :)

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  6. Looks like both a wonderfully delicious treat and a great vacation getaway! Lovely photos ;-). Love this relaxing time of year ;)

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  7. hello Susan I just was passing by and notes this delicious Salted Caramel Ice Cream and I'm going to copy the recipe and make soon Yummy!!

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  8. Growing up maple walnut was always my favourite but it has been replaced by salted caramel.

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  9. this looks wonderful! thank you...I'm pinning it to try!

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    1. making this today to go with chocolate birthday cake tomorrow for my hubs!

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    2. ok..,it's in the freezer and my little sample taste was wonderful! Thank you!

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  10. Never would I have thought to use cream cheese in ice cream, but I'll be trying this soon. It's hard to resist anytthing with salted caramel. Your vacation getaway spot looked beautiful. Yes, let's hope summer sticks around a little longer this year.

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    1. Thank you, Linda! The cream cheese surprised me too but it really helps make the ice cream creamier - and it's just a small amount.

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  11. This year I haven't had anything made with caramel...trying to get away from the refined sugar...alas, I miss it! Your ice cream looks really really creamy and smooth. Love the one topped with nuts!
    Glad to hear that you have been enjoying the summer, Susan.
    Have a wonderful Sunday!

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    1. I wish I knew of a good substitute for making the caramel, Angie. I wonder if honey would work?

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  12. I have only used my ice cream freezer once this summer, but this salted caramel is calling me to remedy that situation. This looks so good! :)

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  13. unplug for a while is the better way to take a really relaxing rest ! Gorgeous recipe Susan! have a nice sunday, hugs...

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  14. What a lovely place to relax in the summer. And now fun to see the actual window from the shoot-out. I really like that kind of stuff.

    I don't think I've ever tasted salted caramel. Sounds divine.
    Sam

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    1. There were several windows in that room that were filled with bullet holes, including the walls! It was very interesting to see and read about the shoot-out.

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  15. Oh my... your ice cream looks and sounds divine! Love your lake getaway photos, it's beautiful! Glad you're enjoying your summer, I'm wishing ours away hoping for an early fall :) Ya'll are such a handsome couple!

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    1. Thank you, Mary! It's funny how our perspectives are so different based on where we live :)

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  16. If I had read your comment yesterday we would have this beautiful ice cream on the menu today. I made Cantaloupe Sorbet instead but will be trying this very soon. Salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors and I can never resist it. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation, Susan. I know that part of the country is very beautiful.

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    1. Thank you, Cathy! You don't think you'll be disappointed if your try this. Yes, it was so pretty with the lakes and pines and fresh air!

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  17. The weather here has been so warm these days that I crave for ice cream so much! Wish I can have a scoop right now!

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  18. What a wonderful summer, Susan! You sure are having such a wonderful time with friends! And beautiful place!
    Your ice cream looks so good! I've got to get that book, have seen lots of wonderful reviews about it!
    Enjoy your summer!

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    1. Thank you, Joyce! I can't wait to try another recipe from Jeni's book.

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  19. Looks like you had a wonderful vacation Susan, beautiful pictures.
    The ice cream recipe sounds delicious with an exquisite balance of flavors and textures!

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  20. So special to spend time together with your group of friend at this lovely get-away. And the ice cream look amazingly delicious! Sounds like your have enjoyed these summer days. We are now driving home from switching grand kids. We met halfway to return our granddaughter to her parents and pick up our oldest grandson after a week long visit. Loved every minute but feel like i could sleep for days:). I will face the house cleaning in the morning!

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    1. Ha-ha :) That's how we feel at the end of every Monday when we have our 2 grandsons here all day and it takes all morning Tuesday to everything picked up and cleaned. Wouldn't change it for the world though :)

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  21. What a delicious sounding ice cream. I love the idea of cream cheese so this one is going on the list. I adore caramel. What a fun summer you've had - and what a great looking couple! Welcome back :)

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  22. Susan I love this ice cream and the pictures of your summer look beautiful:)

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  23. What great pictures! YOu look like you're enjoying summer!!! I've made this ice cream and it is heavenly. Jeni's ice cream is all I make any more. It's so smooth and creamy and freezes nicely. Happy August!!!

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    1. Thanks, Julie :) Glad to hear you like her ice cream recipes too!

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  24. The ice cream sounds divine! What a nice summer you have had, and the Northwoods getaway looks just like our Northwoods. The loon was "calling" all morning ;o) Love the picture of you two.

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    1. It was nice to be back in the north woods again - it's been a long time for us! Thanks so much :)

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  25. The ice cream looks incredible. I'm so glad you had such a wonderful trip. Sounds like fun!

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  26. Well, you've convinced me...I need to find & taste "salted caramel" very, very soon! The ice cream looks luscious but I'd rather be on vacation at some of those lovely locations. GREAT photo of you & your hubs!!!
    I'm off to check out those links now.

    fondly,
    Rett

    p.s. I like your message at the bottom of your comment form. May I borrow most of it? It very clearly states WHY you can't leave an anonymous message & hopefully, will get rid of those awful verification codes. I put an explanation of how to undo them on my sidebar, but your note here at the end of the comments is an even better place for it!

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  27. Oh my goodness! THis IS the BEST ice cream! This is so fabulous Susan and I never have enough hours in the day to do the things I want to do. I so badly want to try so many of your recipes that look and sound amazing! And I hope I get to try this one as well! Thanks for the recipe! Your photos are wonderful too!

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    1. I feel the same way about ALL of your recipes! Thanks so much.

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  28. It sounds like you have been enjoying summer the way it should be. Oh...and that ice cream! It sounds wonderful.

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  29. Susan, what a great ice cream! It sounds incredibly delicious and I want to try it. It sounds like you've had a great summer! I'm glad it's warming up a little now as I too love to be outside and enjoy it as much as I can. Have a good week!

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  30. wow this looks amazing and love the pic of you and your hubby

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  31. I've made a few things from Jeni's cookbook but still not this ice cream! BIG shame on me!

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  32. Susan your caramel ice cream looks perfect! You've photographed that scoop to look like the perfect orb it should be.

    Plus you and your husband make a beautiful couple. How many years are you married?

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  33. Well you had me at the words "salted caramel". But then when I saw the pictures then you really had me! This looks amazing, yum!

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  34. I would love to have a scoop or two of this ice cream...the idea of a little salt with the sweet caramel just sound perfect and yes, I would love to top it with some crunchy almond...
    Beautiful pictures Susan...it sure seems that you both are having a great time.
    Have a wonderful week ahead :D

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  35. If I could pick any ice cream to eat it would be this. WOW. Love your life pictures.

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  36. Un helado de caramelo es perfecto luce exquisito...gracias por su comentario,hugs,hugs.

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  37. How wonderful. I had a chocolate center using this method and I never could get it to work. It just turned to rock. Maybe I will try it again. I love the rich flavor of the salted caramel too.
    Sounds like a wonderful trip. We have been so crazy busy all summer with wonderful things that I haven't done much blogging so hope to get back to doing more.

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  38. Oh my goodness this might just convince me to say yes to my daughter's request for our own ice cream maker. I just added this recipe to my own food blog and of course credited and linked right back to you. I think I'm going to give it a go.

    Loved your vacation pictures - sounds like a wonderful trip and summer!

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  39. I've been meaning to buy an ice cream machine and this pst may be the push I need, Susan. What a delicious sounding ice cream! Your vacation looked wonderful -- your friends ave a lovely lake home, and I love visiting a place with notorious history! :)

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  40. I have never tried to make salted caramel ice cream but looking at your photos and your raves you sold me Susan! I am putting this in my must do projects!

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  41. Shut the front door! I have enjoyed Jenni's Salted caramel ice cream and know for a fact it is to die for! Totally impressed that you recreated it at home. Love, love it.

    Glad you had an amazing summer spent with family and friends. At the end of the day, that is what it is all about.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Velva

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  42. The ice cream looks wonderful. I have been enjoying homemade ice-cream this summer too. I don't think I could go back to store bought.
    You look so happy on your vacation. It sounds like it was a good time.
    Blessings, Catherine

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  43. Oh this looks out of this world delicious!!! LOVE salted caramel but I can only imagine how divine this is - bookmarked!
    Mary x

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  44. I'm glad you are having a wonderful summer. And it is good to meet another salted caramel fan. Like you, mention those two words to me, and I am up for itm what ever it form it comes in. Isn't Jeni's book terrific? Her recipes are clear and work beautifully, and she presents so much great info. I've got to try this one. Thanks for the test run!

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  45. Oh my...this Salted Caramel Ice Cream sounds decadent. I can't wait to try it...as you might know, I'm simply crazy for ice cream, any time. :) Sounds like you had a wonderful summer! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Have a beautiful week ahead.

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  46. Salty sweets is something I have gradually warmed up to here. It was shocking to me at first but then got used to it, now I enjoy my salty sweets :)
    I have not made icecream at home and this looks a bit intimidating as I tend to really forget and burn things easily. If I am feeling brave one day! :)
    Hope your summer stays around long, glad you are enjoying it away from the computer :)

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  47. Susan, you 'had me' at both "salted caramel" and "revelation" . . . as a result, this ice cream must be irresistable AND magnificent! Thanks so much for pointing me to the best salted caramel ice cream recipe that I MUST make!
    xo
    Roz

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  48. I LOVE salted caramel. I must try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

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