In My Kitchen: Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Recipe: Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Yield: Approx 24oz

Ingredients

1/2 c whole milk
3 egg yolks
200 g dulce de leche (made from pressure cooking sweetened condensed milk in a canning jar for 40 minutes)
big pinch of sea salt
1 c heavy cream
splash of vanilla


Instructions

1. Blend the first four ingredients in Vitamix on hot soup setting (stopping it around 4-5 minutes into the cycle). Check the temperature (you want it to read about 170' F).

2. Add the heavy cream and vanilla, give it a quick whirl to combine.

3. Chill overnight and churn (or, if you are impatient like me, just churn).

4. Let it set in the freezer for a while.


Comments

Step 1 uses my Vitamix as a shortcut to the traditional method of tempering yolks and stirring the custard in a pot until it comes to temperature, and then straining the mixture. You can also blend it for a shorter amount of time, and cook it the rest of the way on the stovetop (if you are adverse to noise, and ok with cleaning another pot). I like using the Vitamix for custard because it just makes 1 dish (which is easy to clean) and removes the need to temper yolks and strain the custard. And it makes me feel better to get more use out of a $500 appliance I typically use only to make smoothies.

---

Ice Cream Maker

I purchased my ice cream maker in 3rd or 4th year of university. Not completely sure why I thought this was a must-have appliance for me, but I'm sure it had something to do with procrastination. I believe I purchased it for $200 or $250 CAD (including shipping), but there has got to be something better out now. It has its own refridgeration unit built-in, so you don't need to pre-freeze any bowls or anything like that. And, if you are serious about procrastination, you can, in fact, making back-to-back-to-back-to-back batches of ice cream.

Anyway, I've had it ever since then (about 6-7 years?), but was always annoyed at it for the following reasons:

• Extremely heavy (and the majority of the weight is on the right side of the unit), making it difficult to store and bring out onto the counter
• Very large, so it's not feasible to leave it on the counter permanently
• Noisy as heck

I have finally found a solution (at least in my rental apartment!): I used a glue-gun to adhere an old tea towel to the bottom of an old cookie sheet (which would warp in the oven, so otherwise garbage), and placed the ice cream maker on this tray in my lower cabinets.



I can slide it in and out about 6 inches, and with an extension cord (yes, an extension cord!), I can leave the unit where it is and churn my ice cream without having to lift the darn thing at all! I can even leave the door closed to diffuse the irritatingly loud noises, but I do find it tends to get a bit warm in there (i.e., I only close it when DH is home, because he cannot stand the sound... but is always very happy to eat the results, hmm).

Here is today's ice cream: sea salt & dulce de leche



DH review: "8.5/10 - Could use some chunks of chocolate and ribbons of caramel."

Links: Cuisinart ICE-50BC on Amazon, Reditainer 16oz Containers with lids, Thermapen