I'm sitting at my desk right now with my legs in pain, talking to my mother, drinking a soda, and eating some homemade caramel ice cream because I just got my MCMAP brown belt! Life is good. I fought a fair amount today, and I'm probably going to eat something bad for me for dinner..but never fear! I will still prepare something tonight.
Last night, when I was preparing this delicious caramel cream concoction, I was worried about its success. The only time I have ever made ice cream was in my Aunt Mary's basement in Kansas. That was more than ten years ago, so I don't remember most of it, and even then I was in the cranking ranks, so I didn't know too much about what went on before I went to work.
In this ice cream operation, it was just me and my $5 bargain ice cream maker from the thrift store up the road...and the directions that came with it, so when Patrick said "freeze according to manufacturers instructions", I actually could and didn't just have to make it up myself.
My big worry about caramel ice cream is the caramel part. I tried to caramelize some onions last week for the miniature caramelized onion tartlets, but it didn't work too well (though the onions were still good), and I had to caramelize some sugar earlier this week for something that I'm not remembering too well, so I didn't have much faith in myself or my pans. But, I kept the sugar-water on the stove beyond where I thought it would caramelize, putting my faith in Patrick once again. Lo and behold, it worked! The liquid did "begin to turn a golden amber color" and when I added the cream and whisked in the butter, I ended up with caramel.
Next was making the ice cream. Not normally a problem for someone with a stainless steel bowl or a double boiler. I have neither. However, one time in the past, I needed a double boiler to melt chocolate for a German chocolate cake, didn't have one, so just held a pan over bubbling water. It worked, it just took a careful balance. It worked again last night.
Then, after combining the ice cream (which used the rest of my eggs) and caramel (and cooling everything off thoroughly), I put in Silkwood, set a towel down, hammered out some ice and water filter salt (it was the only thing I could find in the store) and got to cranking. Sure enough, that tin can in a wood barrel made ice cream! I poured it into a couple tupperwares (way more than I can eat on my own), and set it in the freezer. Now it is creamy, caramely deliciousness.
I just have to figure out what to do with it and what to do when I make the rest of these ice cream recipes.
I want caramel ice cream! Serously, next time you're in town, you're so making me food...
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