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/ **