Thursday, September 20, 2012

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sammies!

Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed my first blog! It took me a little while to decide what to make for my second post. I wanted to make Blondies, I love them and I feel like no one has the same appreciation for them as I do. Well, I pitched the idea to the roomies and they weren't quite as enthusiastic as I was. So, if you're a Blondie lover like me, don't fret they are coming soon! After some heated debate, I decided to go with Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches! They were a huge hit with Michael and Colin! So, if the idea of making caramel doesn't scare you too much you should definitely give them a shot! I happen to be voted the most accident prone in Delaware (Seriously, I burn myself at least once a week). So if I can survive making a pot of scolding hot sugar so can you! It's really not that difficult I promise you :).

Salted Caramel Ice Cream - Recipe from The Cooking Channel
•2 cups whole milk
•1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) softened cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

•1 1/4 cups heavy cream
•2 tablespoons light corn syrup
•2/3 cups sugar

First thing you gotta do is prep. Whenever I'm cooking or baking I usually like to prep all my ingredients before hand. I find it makes everything easier, but there are only a few times when you actually need to do it. Making caramel is definitely one of them. Measure out the whole milk into a measuring cup or a bowl with a spout. Take 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix with the cornstarch in a small bowl to create a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix the heavy cream and corn syrup in a measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. 


All prepped and ready to go!

Now its time to get started. Pour the sugar into a 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Things will start to happen quickly, so make sure and stay by the stove. Now is not the time to go downstairs and transfer your laundry! Just stand by the stove with a heatproof spatula at the ready. Do not touch the sugar until there is a full layer of melted and browning liquid sugar on the bottom with a smaller layer of unmelted sugar on top. When the edges of the melted sugar begin to darken, use the spatula to bring them into the center to help melt the unmelted sugar. Continue stirring and pushing the sugar around until it is all melted and evenly amber in color. Like an old penny. 


When little bubbles begin to explode with dark smoke, give the sugar another moment and then remove from the heat. Immediately, but slowly, pour about 1/4 cup of the cream and corn syrup mixture into the hot sugar. It will pop and spit, so be careful! Stir until it is incorporated, then add a bit more and continue to stir until it is all in. If the caramel hardens and starts to clump that is okay, it will loosen up and melt as you continue. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the milk. Bring to a rolling boil for four minutes. 


Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about one minute. Remove from heat, and if any caramel flecks remain pour the mixture through a mesh sieve. Whisk the hot mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag, seal it and place inside another Ziploc. Submerge the sealed Ziploc in the bowl of ice water. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. Once cool, pour into your ice cream maker and spin until its thick and creamy.

Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal. Freeze until firm, at least four hours, but its best if it sits overnight. 


Chocolate Cookies - Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
•2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
•2/3 cups plus 1/4 cup cocoa powder
•1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
•1 cup sugar
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•2 egg yolks
•1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 ° and line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together the cocoa and the flour and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. 




Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and split in half. If it's too soft to handle wrap it and stick it in the fridge, but no longer than 30 minutes. Roll each half to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles and transfer them over to the parchment lined baking sheets. I suggest transferring with an inverted spatula of some kind. Poke about 10 holes in each cookie with either a fork or a skewer. 


Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they stay firm when tapped in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. Once all the cookies are finished and the ice cream is frozen its time to assemble. I chose to place a scoop of ice cream on a cookie, sandwich another on top, smooth the edges with an inverted spatula and then individually wrap them and freeze them. 


If you preferred you could freeze the ice cream on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Once its frozen you can use the same cookie cutter you used for the cookies for the ice cream. Then stack accordingly. If you wanted to make them in a shape other than a circle, I would recommend assembling them this way. Once they are all individually wrapped and frozen, its time to enjoy! 


Hope you've been enjoying my posts! Next time be ready for something with a secret ingredient ;).