Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ok, this one isn't crazy simple, but if you have an ice cream maker way in the back of the closet of neglected appliances, it isn't so hard, either. But it is very different and very, very delicious. I mashed up two recipes, one from Gourmet Magazine, and the other from the NY Times magazine which adapted its recipe from Nicole Kaplan at Eleven Madison Park in NY. The inspiration was the heavenly pint procured by my lovely cousins in San Francisco at the Mission's Bi-Rite. Note that you need to start preparing the day before you want to eat it for best results.

1 cup sugar
1 tsp corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt (can go all fancy and use fleur de sel, or go all basic and use kosher)
1 c heavy cream
1 c whole milk
6 large egg yolks

Cook sugar and corn syrup in dry 4-5 quart saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt (you can swirl it around, but don't stir.) Continue to cook until it becomes a dark golden brown color. Carefully pour in the cream...it will vigorously (love that word) bubble and steam.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt and milk. Whisk a little of the caramel into the bowl to temper the eggs (so they don't cook when they are added back into the caramel in the next step.)

Pour the egg mixture into the caramel in the pot and stir. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and stick in the fridge overnight to cool completely.

Freeze in your ice cream maker and sprinkle with sea salt or the fleur de sel before serving.

Blueberry Nectarine Crumble Adapted from Chez Pannise

The point of my putting the recipes on Facebook is to get dinner on the table, not to showcase dessert, which can be satisfied on a weeknight by pulling the ice cream out of the freezer. But this dessert is so simple and so Summer in a Nutshell that I would be doing you a disservice if I failed to let you in on it. Prep is simple and it cooks while you are eating dinner.

The Stuff you Need:

½ cup almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
zest of one lemon, chopped fine
1 tablespoon aged rum (optional...I didn't do it.)

For the Topping

Preheat oven to 375 F. Toast the almonds until they smell nutty and are slightly more brown, about 7 or 8 minutes. Chop the almonds to a medium to fine consistency (I used the food processor.) Combine the flour, the sugars, the salt and spice in a mixing bowl (or, add to the nuts in the trusty food processor.) Add the chilled butter in pieces and mix with your fingers until it becomes mealy (or blitz in the food processor a few Pulses until mealey.) Add the nuts (if you didn't use the food processor) and mix until the flour mixture holds together when squeezed. Put aside. (The topping can be prepared up to a week in advance and refrigerated).

For the Crisp

Mix the fruit in a medium-sized bowl and then add the sugar. Dust the flour over the mixture and stir gently. Spoon the topping into a small cooking dish is just big enough to hold the fruit. Mound a small amount in the center of the dish. Then, gently add the crisp mixture on top. Lightly push the crumble on top of the fruit mixture.

Place a cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven (to catch any overflow juices) and put the crisp dish on top. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the fruit juices are thickened and bubbling. The delicious smell of baked fruit will help you know when it's close to being ready.

Serve with rum flavored whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Finish the ice cream with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt. Yeah, I didn't do this...I just did fresh whipped cream with a bit of sugar because I had it in the fridge.

www.thereareworseobsessions.blogspot.com for the archive.