I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination? Or perhaps it’s that every time I make one of these recipes it tastes so dreamy? (except for the frozen yogurt, which I didn’t really like and is still actually living in my freezer).

I had no idea when I decided to make this ice cream yesterday that it would be such an unqualified success. I just wanted to make something nice and caramel-y to go with the crisp apple tart I was also baking up for a dinner we hosted last night for Gus’s graduate students. A trip through A Perfect Scoop didn’t reveal the recipe I was looking for but a quick search of David’s website revealed the secret (and a story about why it didn’t appear in the book): Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream.

It’s a little intimidating, because making caramel can be kind of scary, all those stories about it seizing up, getting grainy, burning… but this method (dry caramel) was actually so easy, I think I am now past all caramel fear. My advice? Don’t use a thermometer for the caramel… learn to follow the color and the smell, just past the smoke point when the color has turned a lovely dark rich brown. I was scared at first, but I was actually able to smell the smoke and pull the caramel off the heat and throw in the butter, right at the right moment. And since the recipe has you do it twice, once for the ice cream and once for the praline crunch, I got practice and the second time was even easier.

I’m going to send you over to David’s site to read the recipe rather than recreate it here. Suffice to say, it’s a dreamy mixture (how many times have I used the word “dreamy” in this post?) of homemade caramel, top-quality salt (make sure it’s a good one), salted butter, cream, and whole milk. Not to mention the five egg yolks that turn the whole thing into a custard. And for the custard phase, just like the caramel stage, I love that no thermometer is necessary… just cook and stir until the mixture thickens enough that a line drawn through the liquid on the back of a spoon stays put. And if you’re like me, lick it off your finger just to “check on the flavors.” Ahem.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge. I recommend making up the mixture the day before so it really has time to chill, otherwise you may be stuck like me trying to figure out how to get it cold enough. I split time between the fridge and the freezer. After chilling, churn the mixture in your ice cream machine.

When it’s done, mix in the crumbled up caramel praline pieces  if you want to. The praline gives it a little more salt and a little crunch and texture in the overall silky richness. It was great. But next time I think I’ll try it without. Either way, yum.

Remove from the machine and put into a storage container and then freeze to set up. Enjoy.

I don’t have enough ambition to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking or through The French Laundry Cookbook or definitely not through the Alinea cookbook. These women are the few and the brave. But the other day after prepping another quick and easy meal from Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Expresss, my husband [...]

Shhh… I actually made this on Saturday but if you don’t tell anyone, neither will I!
I know brussels sprouts aren’t most people’s favorites, but for some reason in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with them. They can be a little bitter, but if they’re cooked right (especially golden brown… with [...]

I can tell we’re specializing here in dishes that look really cook and impressive but in fact are easy to through together. In fact Monday’s dinner was simple from top to bottom, from the braised scallops to the blueberry cheesecake ice cream (stay tuned for those recipes).
The roasted baby artichokes were the dish that took [...]

For Chinese New Year we decided to go with a Chinese soup — of Teo Chew origin, with some Hokkien in there too — so well tied to our heritage. It's essentially a big bowl of pork spare ribs, boiled up in all those spices so they penetrate the meat. And I have been craving [...]