This no-churn ice cream recipe comes from Heather Templeton’s brand new book, Easy No-Churn Ice Cream (Page Street Publishing, 2022). Here’s what Heather says about it:
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“In this tantalizing blend of coffee-flavored ice cream, ripples of homemade caramel and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, we find decadence personified. Strong and pure coffee extract lends its bold flavor to the ice cream base, and a generous caramel swirl weaves in and out of hearty cookie chunks. You can substitute store-bought caramel for this homemade version if you need to. Try to choose a store-bought caramel that is made with minimal ingredients to best mimic the flavor of homemade caramel. When using store bought caramel, about 1 cup (236 ml) does the trick.”
Makes about 12-14 standard scoops
Ingredients
Caramel
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 grams) salted butter
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream
Ice Cream
- 1 (14-ounce/414-milliliter) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) pure coffee extract
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) half-and-half
- 1½ cups (360 milliliters) heavy cream
- 15 chocolate sandwich cookies (I used Oreos)
Instructions
Make the caramel
- To make the caramel, begin by placing the granulated sugar in a small saucepan on the stovetop, over medium to high heat. Whisk the sugar continuously without stopping, until it is melted. Be very cautious, as you do not want the sugar to burn, and be aware of splatter. It will be extremely hot!
- Once the sugar reduces to a dark amber-colored liquid, about 3 to 5 minutes, add the butter. Whisk this bubbly liquid until it is fully combined and no lumps remain. Lower the heat to a simmer. Slowly add the heavy cream and mix the caramel, until it is well combined. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel to cool completely. The caramel will thicken as it cools. If your mixture clumps up at all, simply pop the pan back onto the burner, and then turn the heat up to medium for 1 or 2 minutes of vigorous stirring. It will come together.
- You can place the pan in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process. I generally allow my caramel to cool for 45 to 60 minutes. You will use all of this caramel in this recipe, but should you choose to double it and have some extra, you can store any leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. You can warm the caramel to loosen it up after it has been refrigerated, as it will stiffen. It is still pliable though, so it can be eaten warm or cold.
Make the ice cream
- In a medium-sized bowl, make the ice cream by whisking together the sweetened condensed milk, pure vanilla extract, pure coffee extract and half-and-half, until the mixture is smooth. Set this aside. With a standing or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the cream that has been whipped. This is your ice cream base. You will want this to be as smooth as possible and lump free.
- Place the sandwich cookies in a large sturdy plastic bag and seal it, ensuring most of the air has been removed. Using a rolling pin, roll over the cookies to break them up into larger chunks. Alternatively, you can crush them by hand, breaking each cookie roughly into fourths. If you prefer smaller chunks, simply crush the cookies further. If you prefer larger chunks, crush them less. Place the crushed cookies into the ice cream mixture, and gently mix, ensuring that the cookies are well distributed within the batch of ice cream.
- Pour half of the ice cream base into an 8 x 8–inch (20 x 20–cm) baking pan (or a freezer-safe container of about the same size), and using your spatula, spread the ice cream evenly throughout the pan. Using half of the prepared and cooled caramel, spoon large tablespoons (15 ml) over the ice cream base. Pour the remaining half of the ice cream base into the pan, and finally, drizzle the remaining caramel over the ice cream base. Using a butter knife or fork, gently swirl the caramel into the base, ensuring that you do not overmix it. You’ll want those delightful pockets of caramel to be present throughout the ice cream. Freeze the ice cream uncovered for 3 to 5 hours or overnight, until it is firm. Cover any leftovers with tinfoil or plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
VARIATION:
If coffee isn’t your love language, you can omit it for a delicious vanilla ice cream with caramel and Oreos.
Reprinted with permission from Easy No-Churn Ice Cream by Heather Templeton. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Heather Templeton.
