Recipe for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
I wrote too many recipes as I was completing the recipes for The Perfect Scoop, so I had to delete some of them to make a place for everything else that goes into a cookbook.
Despite the fact that I did include my go-to recipe for Pear Caramel Ice Cream, which gets its silky richness from caramelized pears, I figured that since my first book (which was later republished as Ready for Dessert) had a fantastic recipe for Caramel Ice Cream, that recipe would be sufficient for fans of that flavor.
Then salted butter caramel appeared, which at the time created some questions. "Ice cream with salt?" I heard it many times.
So I'm re-presenting my very own Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream recipe today. Since so many people informed me that this was their all-time favorite ice cream, I decided to repost something that I first shared about ten years ago.
In this updated version, I've cut the sugar content, which aids in the ice cream's ability to solidify in the freezer, and made a few other adjustments.
Making nice caramel is simple, but the key is to heat it just long enough for it to get slightly browned. Otherwise, it just tastes like syrupy sugar and the finished ice cream won't have the same deep caramel flavor.
If you've never made caramelized sugar, you might want to read my post Making the Perfect Caramel for detailed instructions before you begin. It's quite simple once you've created a couple and gotten the feel of it.
The sugar should be heated all the way to the point of complete blackness before being stopped with a few cubes of salted butter. You'll be tempted to dip your finger into the buttery caramel that will form as it melts since it is so enticing. But kindly refrain; it's quite warm. All you can do is wait. But rest assured, it will be worthwhile.
Use quality salt, of course. I like fleur de sel, but if you don't have any, Maldon, fine gray salt, or kosher salt would work in a pinch. Use only fine sea salt; regular table salt is considered too harsh. Some of the caramel may not dissolve completely in step 6. Any hard portions should dissolve if you stir them while it's heated very gently.
In the event that they aren't, don't worry; they will be later. Because of the caramel in the ice cream, it will stay lovely and creamy after being frozen. This recipe, as said, is an upgrade from one that called for 1 1/2 cups (300g) of sugar in the caramel custard, which some readers claimed caused the resulting ice cream to be extremely soft.
I cut it back by 1/4 cup (50g). Use 1 1/2 cups of sugar in step #5 if you like a richer caramel flavor, though.
For the praline caramel (mix-in)
100g (half a cup) of sugar
14 teaspoon fleur de sel or other sea salts (see headnote)
For the custard ice cream
Whole milk, 2 cups (500 ml) (divided)
1 cup (240 ml) warmed heavy cream
Sugar, 1 1/4 cups (250 g)
Cubed, four tablespoons (60g) of salted butter
a little half teaspoon of sea salt
5 big yolks of eggs
Vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon
Spread the 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar out evenly in a medium-sized, heavy-duty, non-lined saucepan. I use a 6-quart/liter pan for this. A silicone baking mat may be used to line a baking sheet, or you can lightly spray it with unflavored oil.
The sugar should be heated gently until the edges start to melt. Gently mix the liquid sugar with a heat-resistant tool from the bottom and sides to the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it; there could be some lumps that melt later.) Cook the caramel for a while, stirring occasionally until it starts smoking and starts to smell like it's ready to burn. It will finish quickly.
Pour the caramel directly onto the preheated baking sheet. Immediately pull the baking sheet up, tilting and rotating it almost vertically to help the caramel create a layer as thin as possible. Sprinkle on the 34 teaspoon salt without stirring. Set aside for cooling and hardening.
Create an ice bath by placing ice cubes in a big bowl and filling it up to about a third of the way with water to make them float. Pour 1 cup (250ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, place a mesh strainer on top of it, and place a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) on top of the ice. In a small saucepan or microwave, warm the cream, then set it aside.
In a sizable saucepan with a capacity of at least 4qts/4l, distribute the 1 1/4 cups (250g) of sugar in a uniform layer. Using the same technique as in Step #2, cook over medium heat until caramelized.
When the sugar has caramelized, take it from the fire and toss in the salt and butter until the butter has melted. Whisk in the heated cream gradually, approximately 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly. The caramel may seize and become stiff, but swirling it while it's heated gently should help the chunks dissolve. (There could be a few obstinate parts, but they will dissolve or can be strained out later.) Add the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) of milk by stirring.
While continually swirling, gently pour part of the heated caramel liquid over the whisked yolks in a small bowl. Using a heatproof tool, stir the custard continuously while scraping the pan's bottom until the liquid thickens. Add the warmed yolks back into the pan. A thermometer with an immediate read setting should register 160–170°F (71–77°C).
Add the vanilla after pouring the custard through the sieve into the milk that is being heated over an ice bath. Stir the mixture continuously until it has chilled. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or until completely cooled.
Follow the manufacturer's directions for freezing the mixture in your ice cream machine.
Crumble the solidified caramel praline into extremely little pieces that are roughly the size of very large confetti (approximately 12 inches, 1 centimeter) as the ice cream is being made. You may either use a mortar and pestle or put the caramel pieces in a strong freezer bag and use a rolling pan to smash them. If you used a silicone baking surface, you would have to continually fold the mat to break up the caramel.
The crushed caramel should be swiftly incorporated into the churning caramel ice cream before being quickly chilled in the freezer until hard.
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