Caramel Almond Swirl Ice Cream
NOTE: Caramel
can be tricky to prepare. Begin by heating the sugar in a deep
saucepan without stirring. At the very first wisp of smoke, start
stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Cook the sugar until it
is light honey in color, which should take ten minutes or less. If
the sugar becomes any darker, the caramel will be too stiff to
swirl into the ice cream. Toasted and chopped walnuts, pecans, or
macadamia nuts may be substituted for the almonds if
desired. See figure
18, for information on
toasting nuts in a dry skillet.
11/2 cups whole milk
11/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Almond Swirl
1/2 cup sugar
3/8 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS:
Follow Master Recipe instructions for Vanilla Ice Cream. While custard is chilling, prepare Caramel Almond Swirl. Heat sugar in deep saucepan set over low heat without stirring. At first wisp of smoke, stir constantly with long-handled spoon until sugar melts and caramel is light golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully add cream, making sure to keep hands and face away from bubbling sauce. Stir to incorporate cream and cook until sauce has softened again and is smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sauce into glass measuring cup. Stir in almonds and set aside. About 1 minute before churning is completed, place measuring cup in bowl of hot water to heat caramel sauce. Drizzle sauce over frozen ice cream, folding very gently to keep swirl distinct (see figure 19).