This recipe will not come as a surprise to anyone who remembers this post I wrote back in April. The gist of the post was how I was lamenting a scooping blunder that transpired at the famous Bi-Rite Creamery. I had fallen in love with this Malted Vanilla Ice Cream, and when returning the next day for another scoop, the server inadvertently gave me plain vanilla. Well, ever since then I haven’t been able to get that flavor out of my mind.
As of last week, I am the proud new owner of a super-duper Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I have yearned for one of these babies for a very long time. The cool thing about it is you don’t have to freeze the bowl insert. I can make ice cream on a moments notice, and, I can make batch after batch since there is no bowl to re-freeze. Did I mention how excited I am?
What better recipe to christen my new gismo with than the ice cream I have been thinking about ever since leaving San Francisco in April. I had my doubts that the ice cream I churned from my maker was going to actually taste as good as the memory I had of the original at Bi-Rite but it definitely did – which is a testament to how well tested and written the recipes are from their book.
To take the whole experience to the next level, I also made the cones using their recipe. So crisp, and sweet, and the perfect compliment to the ice cream. Yes, heaven for sure. Now that my new ice cream maker has been broken in, and I have gotten the Malted Vanilla flavor out of my system, I can’t wait to work my way through tons of ice cream recipes I have been wanting to try. Summer is fleeting, I’m going to be very busy.
This recipe combines the perfect trio of flavors into one undeniably excellent ice cream.
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup malted milk powder, such as Carnation
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped *Peanut Brittle (recipe below) in 1/8-inch pieces
* Purchased peanut brittle would make a suitable substitute in this recipe.
Base
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in the malted milk powder.
In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
Carefully remove about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Using a wooden spoon or a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg/cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens, coats the back of the spoon, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spoon, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Set the container into an ice-water bath, wash your spoon, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. (Alternatively, strain the base into a gallon-sized ziplock bag, seal, and place the bag into the ice-water bath.) Remove the container or bag from the ice-water bath and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Churn the Ice Cream
Add the vanilla to the chilled base and stir until blended. Freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions and put the container you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer. Add the chocolate and the peanut brittle in the last minute or two of churning, or fold them in by hand after the ice cream comes out of the machine. Enjoy immediately or freeze for a firmer ice cream.
Yield: 1 quart
Peanut Brittle
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick mat, or spray with nonstick spray.
Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a small, heavy nonreactive saucepan and attach a candy thermometer. Put the pan over medium heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 280˚F (soft crack stage), 20 to 25 minutes. (Keep a close eye on the mixture during the final minutes as the sugar can go from golden brown to burnt in just seconds.)
Remove the thermometer. Stir in the peanuts and continue to stir frequently as the syrup browns. When the syrup is a deep golden brown (another few minutes), remove from the heat. Carefully stir in the baking soda and once the mixture is blended, stir in the butter.
Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and use a heatproof spatula to quickly spread the peanuts in a single even layer about 1/4 inch thick. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Once cool, break into chunks and store in an airtight container.
