Go Back
Print

Browned butter caramel ice cream

Ingredients

For the caramel

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • 6 Tablespoons slated butter melted and cooked until browned bits appear and smells nutty, cooled for about 10 minutes
  • ½ cup heavy cream at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the ice cream base

  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • the tiniest pinch of salt

Instructions

To make the caramel

  • Combine the sugar and hot water in a heavy saucepan, and cook over high heat until the sugar has dissolved. This takes about a minute. Keep cooking, swirling the pan a bit but DO NOT EVER STIR, EVER! If you stir the sugar it will crystallize and NEVER EVER CARAMELIZE. Just swirl the sugar/water around in the pan until sugar starts caramelize and color. The color you want is a deep amber color. It will take about 10 minutes on a medium high flame.
  • When you achieve this color, turn the flame to medium-low and whisk in the browned butter CAREFULLY! It will bubble up. Continue to whisk until all the butter is incorporated. Cook without stirring for one minute.
  • Turn your flame to low and whisk in your cream - also - CAREFULLY! It was bubble up and steam like crazy. Whisk until completely combined and let cool to room temperature.

To make the ice cream

  • Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until steaming and just a few tiny bubbles come up on the outer rim - DO NOT BOIL.
  • Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly add the heated milk mixture to the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, it will look like a custard or thin pudding (coating the back of a spoon is what this is often called). Pour through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.
  • Add the room temperature caramel sauce to the ice cream base and whisk to completely combine. Chill this totally in the fridge. Like overnight. Bust out your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.