Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream from Cookbook Nook Mystery ala @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl aka Avery:

I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe with you yet. It's my favorite all-time ice cream!! Kid you not. And it's perfect for the holidays...or any time.

There is a character in the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, Keller, who is the boyfriend to Katie, the chef at the Nook Cafe. Keller is adorable and quirky and inventive. He makes ice cream and keeps it cold by peddling his bicycle through town. The peddling works the freezer. Keller doesn't play much of a role in the series yet, but I like him so much, he might in the future. Katie makes ice cream, too, and she's been teaching Jenna how to make it. In fact...well, why don't I let Jenna tell you. At the end of each book, I have recipes. For each recipe, I let the characters do the talking. This one can be found in Inherit the Word, book 2 in the series.

From Jenna:

Knowing how much I love ice cream, my aunt bought me a countertop ice cream maker. And then Katie, who remembered how much I’d raved about Keller’s caramel macchiato ice cream, wheedled this recipe out of him. She said it was a cinch. Yeah, right. Anyway, she walked me through the first batch, and it wasn’t that hard. Katie says the trick to making homemade ice cream—which I guess Keller knew, too—is making sure there isn’t too much “moisture” in the mixture. Moisture, a.k.a. water, turns to ice in the freezer. I guess there’s a lot of water in milk. Who knew? Hence, you’ll see evaporated milk in these ingredients. I’ve got to say, yum! If you’re really daring, try making your own caramel sauce. I've included that recipe below.

Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream

(serves 6-8)

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons espresso coffee (brewed, liquid)

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup caramel dessert sauce (I used Smucker’s)

In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook whipping cream, espresso coffee, ¼ cup of sugar, salt, and evaporated milk. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form around the edges. DO NOT BOIL.

Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and egg yolks. Stir well. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form again. DO NOT BOIL.

Remove the pan from the heat. Cool at room temperature and then set in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer half of the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, then spread half of the caramel sauce on top. Top with remaining ice cream, then remaining caramel sauce. Using a knife, swirl the caramel through the ice cream.

Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours.

From Katie:

Making your own caramel sauce isn’t that hard. And it takes no time at all! Enjoy.

Caramel Sauce ala Katie

(Yield: 1 cup)

2 tablespoons water

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Note: Making caramel is a fast process, so have everything ready…right next to the pan. You don’t want the sugar to burn. Promise! Also, the sugar gets really hot, so be prepared with oven mitts. Okay? Ready…go.

In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat the water and sugar on medium heat. Stir constantly. As soon as all the sugar has melted—the color will be a warm amber—add the butter. Whisk until the butter has melted. You will see bubbles around the edge of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream in a steady stream, whisking the whole time. Note: this mixture will foam!!!! It’s so pretty.

Whisk until the mixture is smooth, then cool a few minutes and pour into a glass heat-proof container, and let cool completely. Remember the glass container will be HOT until the mixture is completely cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to at least 2 weeks.

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