One of the best ways to finish a meal is with Ice Cream. Yes, Ice Cream is pretty good in a bowl but it’s definitely improved by 110% when it’s in a cone. A chocolate dipped cone.
It’s not often that I have Ice Cream in a cone. It’s just not something I think of/remember when I go to buy fancy Ice Cream. So when I do have it, oh my I fall in love with the idea all over again; every time.
Cones remind me of being a child, hearing the Ice Cream van chime its tune down my road. My whole family would stop for a second, snap their heads around and look at one another as if we all knew what was coming. I loved that mad dash around the house trying to gather up enough spare change to afford a Mr Whippy before the van vanished again. Me and my sister would sprint to the street around the corner, bare foot and clutching our change.
I love how everyone has a different way of eating their Ice Cream. I’m one of those people who takes their time. I add in an occasional bite but then completely regret it as my teeth ache with pain. Even though I fully know that will happen, I still do it every time. My mum however, is a ‘this is amazing, lets eat it as fast as is humanly possible’ kind of Ice Cream gobbler.
It’s a well-known fact that food is completely and utterly tied to everyone’s memories and emotions one way or another.
I’ve loved food for a long time but I’m not someone who has been baking ever since they can remember. There was no epiphany whilst eating some delicate French pastry. When someone asks me what made me get into food, I wish I had a cool story. Instead, my love for food just began to evolve. Then I started a food blog and I became obsessed, completely consumed by food.
My favourite foods to make are definitely ones that have a memory behind them. I didn’t have this Ice Cream when I was younger and never did I spend a hot summer day making Ice Cream with my parents. It’s just something about Ice Cream, their cones and how we all hold them like they’re the most precious thing; thats what brings me memories of being a kid.
When someone is presented with an Ice Cream cone, it seems to evoke the child in them.
A warming happy smile always creeps onto their cheeks and everyone is simply content.
This Ice Cream is definitely not like the stark white, fluffy Ice Cream you had when you where a child. It’s rich and packed with caramel flavour. The salty peanuts add a bit of texture in amongst the creamy smooth Caramel Cream.
Ingredients – adapted from FoodWanderings
- 315ml Milk
- 345ml Double Cream
- 155g Caster Sugar
- 5 Egg Yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 100g Salted Peanuts, roughly chopped
Method
Add 100g of your sugar into a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. The sugar will start to dissolve after a few minutes. Do not stir the sugar at any point during this recipe or it will crystallise.
At the same time, place your cream into another medium saucepan and turn the heat to low. Take the cream off the stove when it starts to bubble around the edges. You don’t want to bring the cream to the boil, you just want it warm so that the caramel doesn’t seize up when the cream is added.
Keep an eye on your caramel. As it starts to dissolve, swirl the pan around so that the dissolved sugar doesn’t stay in one place. Place back on the stove. Continue to swirl the pan occasionally until all the sugar is dissolved and its starts to caramelise. Continue to cook the caramel until it becomes a deep amber colour. This process will take about 6-8 minutes.
Take the caramel off the heat when you’re happy with the colour and carefully add in the warm cream. Do not do this all in one go, add it gradually. The mix will bubble and make some noise, don’t worry this is normal just be careful.
If some of your Caramel has turned hard in the pan, just place the pan back onto the heat. You can stir the mix now until the hard pieces have melted.
Next, add in the milk and vanilla. Continue to stir slowly until bubbles appear at the side of the pan.
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 55g of sugar.
Gradually pour the hot caramel mix onto the egg yolks whilst whisking. Continue until all the caramel cream is added to the eggs. This is called tempering. This prevents the eggs from scrambling when you add them into the hot caramel. Pour this back into the pan on low heat. Continue to cook whilst whisking slowly until it comes to 84 degrees C. If you cook the mix over 84 degrees C, they will begin to scramble.
Take your ice cream base off the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Strain the ice cream base through a sieve before churning.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions. Mine took 40 minutes in an automatic Ice Cream maker, pre-frozen for 10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of churning, add in your salted peanuts.
Freeze after churning in an airtight container for four hours before serving.
