Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

This ice cream recipe is a wonderful way to use homemade Dulce de Leche. I found this recipe on Cafe Johnsonia a while ago (when it was first posted there). Before discovering this amazing recipe, my husband and I used to (occasionaly) buy Haagen Dazs cartons of Dulce de Leche ice cream and share them after the kids were in bed- it was some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Thank goodness I discovered Cafe Johnsonia's recipe though, because now I can easily make it at home, and we can enjoy it more often. :) (Especially since, after moving overseas, the price of a small container of Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche costs about the equivalent of $12 USD).

The only change I make to her original recipe is to reduce the sugar- I've found that with the sweetness of the Dulce de Leche, we only need 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Don't be scared to try a cooked ice cream recipe, using eggs. I love the richness and smoothness that eggs impart to homemade ice cream. If you get all of your ingredients and tools ready beforehand, you can have a very smooth ice-cream making experience. For instance, I use my stand mixer to beat the egg yolks while I'm waiting for my milk and Dulce de Leche to heat up on the stove. So, I move my stand mixer close to the stove. (That thing is heavy! Be careful if you do this.) This way I can take the hot milk mixture off the stove and quickly whisk it into the egg mixture, and then pour it all back into the pan again.

It's also important to strain the cooked egg mixture (before refrigerating), to get any bits of cooked egg out. You may think you've done such a good job whisking that there aren't any cooked egg bits, but you never know, and it's better to be safe than sorry. (I just use a regular strainer for this, perched over a big bowl.)

I always chill my cooked ice cream mixture overnight, before freezing into ice cream. This way, you know that it's cold enough, and will freeze quickly and correctly.  (New pics; first and last on this post, taken March 2014.)

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

adapted from cafejohnsonia.blogspot.com

2 14-oz. cans dulce de leche** (purchased, or homemade)

2 cups whole milk

4-6 egg yolks (depending on how rich you want it)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup cream, cold (heavy or light cream will both work)

dash of salt

1.  Whisk together one can of dulce de leche and the whole milk in a medium saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat until very hot, but not boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color--you can also use an electric mixer.

2.  Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. Pour back into pan. Gently cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to thicken and reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. (Don't let it exceed 180 degrees, or it will curdle. If you don't have a thermometer, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.) Strain the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the cold cream.

3.  Chill until very cold (like overnight) and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Place 1/4 of the ice cream in a freezer-proof container. Dollop with 1/2 to 1 teaspoonfuls of dulce de leche. Top with another 1/4 of the ice cream. Repeat until all ice cream has been transferred to the container and most of the dulce de leche has been dolloped. (You will probably only use 1/2 of the remaining can.) Use a knife tip to swirl the dulce de leche through the ice cream. Place in the freezer for several hours to harden before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Two Ingredient Dulce de Leche Ice Cream (No Ice Cream Maker Required!)

This recipe is just so good, so fun, and so easy.  It's just amazing!!  You just whip up some heavy cream, add a can of Dulce de Leche, and put it in the freezer!  You don't even use an ice cream maker for this- it's amazing.  Well, it is!  I know I said how amazing it was just a few sentences ago.  (For local readers, look for Doce de Leite by Nestle in brown-labeled cans like shown here.  It says "Cozido" in big letters and "Doce de Leite" in small letters.)

I've made this twice since discovering the recipe on Buns in my Oven.  I want to try more variations on this idea- maybe Nutella or Peanut Butter instead of Dulce de Leche.  This is such a fun idea!

Two Ingredient Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
from Buns in my Oven

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
1 14 oz. can Dulce de Leche (or make your own)

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

1.  With a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the cream until you have soft peaks.  With the mixer still on, drop globs of dulce de leche into the bowl until it is all incorporated.  I did a few strokes by hand with a rubber spatula at the end. 

2.  Pour into a freezer-safe container & freeze for 6 hours or longer, if desired.  Serve sprinkled with a bit of optional sea salt.

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Dulce de Leche in the Crockpot

I love this method of making homemade Dulce de Leche.  Thanks to my friend over at Buen Provecho for letting me in on this method!  She is originally from Argentina so I was excited to learn her Dulce de Leche secrets.  ;)  You only need small canning jars (4 oz) and canned sweetened condensed milk.  I found that one regular (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk filled 3 of the jars.  So, if you are using all 12 jars for Dulce de Leche, you'll need 4 cans of sweetened condensed milk.  See, you DO use math in the real world! 

After cooking overnight in the crockpot, the sweetened condensed milk turns this lovely milky caramel color.  Cook longer time for a darker color and firmer Dulce de Leche.  I cooked from about 8pm- 10am to achieve this color.  So, fill the jars with your sweetened condensed milk, place in the crockpot (I used all 3 of my crockpots) in a single layer.  Cover with water, at least 1-2 inches, and cook on Low overnight until desired color is achieved.  The jars should self-seal in the crockpot; making these shelf-stable.  (Refrigerate after opening though.) 

Use your Dulce de Leche as a spread for toast, waffles or pancakes, or as a dip for sliced apples or pears, or use it as a topping for ice cream.  Or just eat it right out of the jar, as I did with one of them!  I opened one to taste after it came out of the crockpot, and during the course of the day, I ate the whole thing. 

Dulce de Leche in the Crockpot
from Buen Provecho

4-oz. canning jars (plus lids and rings), washed and dried
14-oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk (each can fills 3 canning jars)

1.  Decide how much Dulce de Leche you want to make.  If you only have one crockpot, you can probably only do 3-4 jars.  Each can of sweetened condensed milk will fill 3 of the jars. 

2.  Fill clean 4-oz jars with sweetened condensed milk.  Place the lids on and screw the rings on.  Place in your crockpot(s), in a single layer, with room between jars, if possible.  (Was not always possible for me to not have jars touching, but you MUST put them in a single layer; no stacking).  Cover with enough water so there is at least 1-2 inches of water above the jars. 

3.  Cook on Low for 10-12 hours, or longer, until desired color is achieved.  The darker the color, the firmer the Dulce de Leche will be.  Turn off crockpot, let jars cool a bit, and then remove them to a clean kitchen towel (with tongs, if needed).  Jars should be self-sealed now and able to be stored at room temp.  (Check to make sure they are sealed bu pushing down on lids.  Should not pop up.)  There may be a few rust spots on the tops of the lids, this is fine; while jars are still wet from the crockpot, remove the rings (not lids) and just wipe away the rust with a damp paper towel; replace rings. 

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Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine (Three Recipes)

Ever since making this Two-Ingredient Dulce de Leche ice cream, I've been intrigued about making ice cream recipes without an ice cream machine.  (I do own and love an ice cream machine, but it's so quick and easy not using one sometimes.)  To make these types of ice cream, you whip 2 cups of whipping cream and add one can of sweetened condensed milk.  I think the sweetened condensed milk is somehow the secret to making this ice cream.  So with the basic recipe of two cups whipped cream, one can sweetened condensed milk, you can add pretty much anything to this and come up with your own flavors.  I did two of my "own", and got the third recipe from another blog.

First up, I made Toffee Ice Cream, pictured above.  Next, I will post the recipe for Cookies and Cream using this method (middle pic), and finally, Nutella & PB Chip ice cream (last pic).  Enjoy!  Come up with your own flavors.  It's really fun.

Toffee Ice Cream

by What a Dish!

makes quite a lot- maybe 10 servings

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evap. milk)

1 bag (about 8 oz.) toffee baking pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

1.  Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.  I used my stand mixer and it's very quick and easy.  With mixer on low, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and pinch salt.  Fold in the toffee bits gently with a rubber spatula.  Transfer to a large freezer-safe container and freeze for 6-8 hours before serving.  (Or until ice cream is hard enough; this took a really long time with this recipe for some reason.)

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

by What a Dish!

makes a lot- maybe 10 servings or more

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evap. milk)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

15-20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

1.  Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.  I used my stand mixer and it's very quick and easy.  With mixer on low, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  Fold in the chopped Oreos gently with a rubber spatula.  Transfer to a large freezer-safe container and freeze for 6-8 hours before serving.  

Nutella & Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream

adapted from Kevin & Amanda

makes quite a lot- maybe 10 servings or more

2 cups heavy cream

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evap. milk)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup Nutella

1 cup peanut butter chips

1.  Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks (I like to use my stand mixer).  Whisk sweetened condensed milk, butter, and Nutella in another large bowl.  Stir in peanut butter chips.  Fold in whipped cream.  Pour into a 2-quart freezer-safe container and cover.  Freeze 6-8 hours or until firm.  

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Dulce de Leche Molten Lava Cakes

A few weeks ago, a FB friend pointed out a recipe for Dulce de Leche Molten Lava Cakes to me, since she knows I like Dulce de Leche (and maybe she knows I also like Lava Cakes- like these chocolate ones).   I looked up a few different recipes to find one that made enough for my fam, and went for it.  My family loved these- they're a bit sweeter than the chocolate version, but a lot less butter is used for these.  :)

The runny middle reminds me of a popular Portuguese dessert called Camel's Spit or Camel's Drool.  Lol.  But I like the texture of the cakes better than that dessert.  You'll need 6 ramekins for this recipe, all the same size. (The original recipe uses 8 ramekins, but even my 6 cakes were so tiny, I have no idea how this would work with 8.  They'd be like 1 centimeter high.)

 Dulce de Leche Molten Lava Cakes
adapted from Honest Cooking

113g (1/4 stick) butter, melted
260g (1 cup) dulce de leche, slightly warm
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
31g (1/4 cup) Flour

1.  Preheat oven to 425F. Butter and flour 6 ramekins and transfer to a baking sheet.  Whisk together dulce de leche and butter, set aside. Sift salt, cinnamon and flour and set aside.  Whip eggs, yolks and sugar until doubled in volume and can hold a ribbon of mixture without disappearing quickly (I used my stand mixer here).  Add dulce de leche and whip until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients and vanilla and whisk to combine. 

2.  Divide batter among the ramekins. Leave about 1 cm from the top.  Bake cakes until golden brown but still jiggle in the middle, about 10-13 minutes.  Run a knife along the edge of the ramekin to loosen and invert onto plate.  Serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream or enjoy as is

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Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies

These were delicious!!  The nutty flavor of browned butter combined with the salted caramel flavor is just wonderful.  Don't skip the sea salt on these- I tried one without and the flavor wasn't nearly as good as with the salt.  If you don't have any kind of sea salt (it doesn't have to be fancy!), try kosher salt, but I wouldn't use plain table salt to top these, as that flavor can be too harsh. 

My butter wouldn't brown at first; it was just sizzling away without changing color.  I figured maybe there was too much butter to brown, so I poured some out, and the remaining butter seemed to brown almost instantly.  Then I just mixed all of the butter together and it was perfect. 

For the frosting, I used part Smucker's caramel ice cream topping, part squeezable Dulce de Leche.

Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies
adapted from Cooking Classy

1 cup salted butter, diced into cubes
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling cookies

1.  Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook just until butter has browned, swirling occasionally (butter will go through stages- it will melt, then splatter a bit, then foam and golden bubbles will begin to appear in the center on the surface with little brown specs - this is when you want to remove it; don't burn it). Pour butter (and scrape out all of the browned butter with a rubber spatula) into a heat proof bowl. Allow butter to cool until just warm to the touch, about 20 - 25 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. Add cooled butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and light-brown sugar to an electric stand mixer and mix until well blended. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combine. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

3.  Place 2 Tbs. sugar in a small bowl.  Scoop dough out 1 1/2 Tbsp at a time and form into balls; roll balls in sugar to evenly coat. Place sugar coated dough balls onto a Silpat lined or greased baking sheet. Using the bottom of a flat measuring cup or drinking glass gently flatten each ball to 1/2 inch, then bake in preheated oven 8-11 minutes.

4.  Allow to cool several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost each cookie with Salted Caramel Frosting (recipe below) and sprinkle each cookie evenly with a small pinch of sea salt immediately following (so the salt sticks before frosting sets). Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp caramel sauce, caramel ice cream topping, or squeezable Dulce de Leche
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
pinch sea salt
about 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt

1.  In a large mixing bowl, using and electric hand mixer on low speed, whip together caramel sauce, butter, vanilla and pinch salt until pale and smooth; about 1 minute.  Add in powdered sugar and mix until well blended and smooth.  Frost cooled cookies.  Use coarse sea salt to sprinkle over frosted cookies.

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Feijoada- Brazilian Black Beans

We had guests for dinner on Monday, including a Brazilian. I wanted to make something to remind him of home, so I settled on Feijoada- meaty, smoky black beans, served over rice. I looked up many recipes online, but in the end I used a combo of about 7 recipes, adding my own touches as well. (There are SO many different variations of this dish!) I made this in the crockpot; that cooking method is great for beans, and it makes the meat fall-apart tender as well. I used a smoked ham hock, and it had a ton of meat and added awesome flavor. We all loved this, including our Brazilian guest; he says it tasted just like home, and it's the first "real" Brazilian food he's had since he's been here. :)

We served this with the rice, of course, and fried plantains on the side (and steamed green beans.... although I don't know if that's very Brazilian). For dessert, we had Dulce de Leche ice cream. (Doce de Leite, in Portuguese).

Later I'll have to try the Portuguese version of Feijoada.

Simple Feijoada (My Version)
by What a Dish!

1 bag dried black beans (16-20 ounces) soaked overnight, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4-5 cups water
1 smoked ham hock
3/4 lbs beef, cut up
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced

Cook everything in the crockpot (except the smoked sausage) all day on high. After 6-8 hours, remove the ham hock and cut the meat off the bones. Return the meat to crock pot, discard bone. One hour before serving, add the smoked sausage. Drain some of the water (you want some liquid, but you don't want it soupy) and serve over rice with fried plantains on the side. (The leftovers will thicken in the fridge).

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