Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Without a doubt, we love caramel. Infused, drizzled, turned into a small treat, there's nothing more decadent in my opinion. With most grocery store caramel ice creams, you get an immense amount of sweetness that hurts your teeth. I looked to change that and this ice cream is well balanced and far from cloyingly sweet. One very important thing is you need to make sure you use the right salt, it makes all the difference. Use a fleur de sel or a flaked sea salt like Maldon. When I bake I prefer to use Maldon Smoked Sea Salt, it's divine! Now I know this looks like a lot of salt, but believe me it needs it! One more thing to make it smokey? Bourbon. Bourbon. Bourbon. You'll thank me later. Cheers!

Ingredients:

Salted Caramel - Makes 2 cups of sauce

1 tbsp smoked sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp bourbon
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tbsp salted or unsalted butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ice Cream Base 

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup caramel sauce
2 tbsp bourbon or whisky
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
4 egg yolks

Directions:

Salted Caramel

1. In a high-sided pan on medium-high heat add sugar, corn syrup and water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and let the sugar come to a deep amber color. Watch this very carefully, if you walk away it will burn

2. While waiting for the sugar to caramelize, in a small saucepan on medium-low heat add your heavy cream, bourbon and butter. Let butter fully melt

3. Once sugar has come to a deep amber color, take your metal whisk and start to stir the mixture. With your face back from the high-sided pan, slowly pour your heavy cream mixture into the caramel. It will steam up so be VERY careful

4. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Add your salt. Keep mixing until the color has turned a deep tan 

5. In order to keep the mixture a sauce, you want to make sure that it stays around the 200 degree Fahrenheit range (use a candy thermometer if necessary)

Ice Cream

1. In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat add sugar, milk, 1 cup heavy cream, bourbon, 1 tsp salt. Stir until sugar has dissolved

2. In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour some of the warmed mixture into the yolks and whisk 

3. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan and stir custard until it becomes thick and reaches 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit 

4. Strain custard mixture into remaining heavy cream and let it cool in the freezer for 1 hour

5. Add 1 cup of your caramel sauce to the cooled custard and whisk 

6. Add caramel custard mixture to ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. Once it has started to freeze add the rest of your salt