Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
In the early 1990s dulce de leche was in every supermarket and every recipe magazine. You just couldn't avoid it unless you hid in a cave far from civilisation. In those long lost days I decided it would be a spiffing idea to use the abundant supply of dulce de leche to make some ice cream. It turned out to be very easy to put together and very pleasant indeed to eat. And so I kept making it. In fact, I made it so often that people begged me to stop kindly suggested that I should maybe try another flavour.
So I moved on to other types of iced delight and forgot all about dulce de leche ice cream. Then, a few days ago, I came across a notebook from my younger days that wittered on about this ice cream and I really wanted to try it one more time. My very cheap ice cream machine is a simple freeze-ahead bowl type that's not particularly efficient but that's all you need for this ice cream. In fact, you could make this without a machine at all if you put the mixture in the freezer and wizz it up in a food processor part way through freezing. (Some of the basic ice cream machines available these days are a fair bit less expensive than in the 1990s and I think that they're not a bad investment if you're keen on a bit of ice cream).
It may be my memory playing tricks but there did seem to be more uniformity in the dulce de leche that was available back in the 1990s. It always seemed to be thick and very smooth. Some of the product available now seems a little thinner and, as a result, you may need to vary the amount of dulce de leche that you use in the recipe. Back then I used roughly half an average jar (225 g) but you may need to increase that amount a little. The idea is to create something that's the thickness of a custard and coats the back of a wooden spoon in the first stage of this recipe. Of course, I'm assuming that you don't have time to make your own dulce de leche, but I applaud you if you do make the effort.
I reckon that this serves around six people but that does depend on just how much you like ice cream and what you feel like serving with it.
225 g - 300 g (depending on thickness, see above) dulce de leche
340 ml full fat milk
225 g whipping (or double) cream
2 tsp Frangelico liqueur (you can leave this out or add a different liqueur if that’s what you have or what you fancy)
Dissolve the dulce de leche thoroughly in the milk by heating gently and stirring continuously. It won't take long to dissolve but be careful to avoid the mixture boiling. This should create a “custard” that coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and chill thoroughly.
Combine the chilled “custard” with the cream and liqueur. Pour into the ice cream machine and let it do its stuff.
I usually made fresh batches of this ice cream shortly before eating it but if it's stored in the freezer for a while then it will be better if softened for 20 minutes or so in the fridge before serving.
So I moved on to other types of iced delight and forgot all about dulce de leche ice cream. Then, a few days ago, I came across a notebook from my younger days that wittered on about this ice cream and I really wanted to try it one more time. My very cheap ice cream machine is a simple freeze-ahead bowl type that's not particularly efficient but that's all you need for this ice cream. In fact, you could make this without a machine at all if you put the mixture in the freezer and wizz it up in a food processor part way through freezing. (Some of the basic ice cream machines available these days are a fair bit less expensive than in the 1990s and I think that they're not a bad investment if you're keen on a bit of ice cream).
It may be my memory playing tricks but there did seem to be more uniformity in the dulce de leche that was available back in the 1990s. It always seemed to be thick and very smooth. Some of the product available now seems a little thinner and, as a result, you may need to vary the amount of dulce de leche that you use in the recipe. Back then I used roughly half an average jar (225 g) but you may need to increase that amount a little. The idea is to create something that's the thickness of a custard and coats the back of a wooden spoon in the first stage of this recipe. Of course, I'm assuming that you don't have time to make your own dulce de leche, but I applaud you if you do make the effort.
I reckon that this serves around six people but that does depend on just how much you like ice cream and what you feel like serving with it.
225 g - 300 g (depending on thickness, see above) dulce de leche
340 ml full fat milk
225 g whipping (or double) cream
2 tsp Frangelico liqueur (you can leave this out or add a different liqueur if that’s what you have or what you fancy)
Dissolve the dulce de leche thoroughly in the milk by heating gently and stirring continuously. It won't take long to dissolve but be careful to avoid the mixture boiling. This should create a “custard” that coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and chill thoroughly.
Combine the chilled “custard” with the cream and liqueur. Pour into the ice cream machine and let it do its stuff.
I usually made fresh batches of this ice cream shortly before eating it but if it's stored in the freezer for a while then it will be better if softened for 20 minutes or so in the fridge before serving.
You're right, recipes using dulce de leche were everywhere in the 90's and also the 00's I think (if 00's is the correct expression), usually following recipes for pigeon cooked three ways, if I remember rightly.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds wonderful. I shall wrestle my ice cream machine from the back of the kitchen cupboard and try it on our next guests who are bound to be impressed. It's also one of those freeze-ahead bowl machines and having given it a test run five years ago before bringing it to France we have never actually used it. I can't wait to try it!
The other advantage of the simple freeze-ahead machines is that they're so much smaller than the expensive ones with inbuilt freezers. I can actually find cupboard space for mine. Well, just about.
DeletePhil, this sounds wonderful. I have the big, heavy built-in compressor ice cream maker now. But I keep it on my appliance counter at the back of the garage and use it right where it sits. When I had the freezable bowl kind, I kept the bowl in the freezer at all times. I think I made ice cream more often then simply because I was reminded to every time I opened my freezer. I'll definitely use the Frangelico!
ReplyDeleteKeeping the ice cream maker at the back of the garage is an excellent idea. Kitchen appliances can use up far too much space in my house. Trouble is, I don't have a garage. Maybe I should build a shed in the garden just for all the appliances and gadgets that I'd like to have but probably won't use much.
DeleteThis ice cream sounds really good. I remember dulche de leche recipes being in every magazine and cookery book. My ice cream maker is also at the back of the cupboard, and is the one with freezable bowls. Haven't used it for years, so this is a good reason to get it out.
ReplyDeleteI think there must be plenty of ice cream makers hidden in cupboards up and down the country. Probably next to the sandwich toaster and the electric carving knife.
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