Sunday Funday: Ice Cream

Who doesn't like ice cream?  It's rich and creamy and especially delicious on a warm summer day.

Remember back in June when I referenced that I had a lot of egg whites to use up?  Well here is the precursor to that story.

Back in college my grandparents bought me an ice cream maker.  I mean what dorm-dwelling college student wouldn't love an ice cream maker to add to her collection of non-RHA approved appliances?  The ice cream maker sat nicely on my shelf next to my juicer, toaster oven, breadmaker and electric frying pan, all essential tools for dorm food survival.

The Colonel loves ice cream as much as anyone that I know and during our annual Father's Day festivities at his house ice cream is always the dessert of choice.

For those of you that may be new to the blog you may not know that I can be very indecisive and often prefer a variety of items over making just one thing, it's just better that way and ice cream is no exception.

Father's Day 2012 Ice Cream Assortment:

Bourbon Bacon Vanilla Ice Cream

(adapted from seriouseats.com)

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2# bacon chopped, cooked and candied

1/4 cup Bourbon of choice

Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture.Add the vanilla bean to the cream mixture and bring to just under a boil over medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat and steep, covered, for 20 minutes. Combine the egg yolks with the sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the color lightens. Slowly whisk 1/4 cup of the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk the egg mixture back into the cream mixture.

Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon without running.  Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the vanilla extract and the bourbon.  Chill completely in the refrigerator, then freeze. Before serving top with candied bacon (bacon coated with brown sugar, baked in the oven and then crumbled).

Peanut Butter Coconut Curry

(adapted from http://tinkeringwithdinner.blogspot.com)

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon curry
1 cup whole milk

Just mix, chill, churn and ripen.

Creole Blueberry Cream Cheese Ice Cream

(adapted from NolaCuisine.com)

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
6 Large Egg Yolks
2/3 Cup cream cheese

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1 cup blueberries

Combine the Cream, Milk, Sugar, and Vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, remove from the heat, temper the yolks with a little of the milk mixture. Combine the two mixtures. then return them to the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook the custard until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, 2-4 minutes, DO NOT BOIL. Strain into a mixing bowl and refrigerate until chilled. When the custard is cold, fold in the blueberries, cream cheese and sour cream. 

Makes 1 Quart

Salted Caramel

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salted-Caramel-Ice-Cream-354517#ixzz26B4c8yU8)

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

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.

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.

Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

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.

Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. 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.

Following the completion of ice cream making the machine is then cleaned out and used to make a variety of frozen adult beverages but that's another story.... 

Pinnacle cake vodka + Oberweis Chocolate milk + ice cream maker = THE BEST DRINK EVER!