SALTY SWEET CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Years ago I spent a magical Christmas in Mexico City.  We celebrated Christmas Eve with friends from the Canadian Embassy.  We were served an outrageously rich and decadent dessert.  It was the grand finale to a memorable evening.  The original dessert was layers of custard, whipped cream and dulce de leche.    It was time consuming  to make.  Condensed milk had to  simmer away in water for hours  until it reached a dark, caramel consistency.     I’ve simplified the recipe to just two ingredients – whipped cream and dulce de leche.   It is unbelievable easy to make and doesn’t require an ice cream machine.    Your supermarket should have  dulce de leche  by Eagle Brand (the same people who make condensed milk). If you can’t find it I’ve included directions for making dulce de leche at home.

SALTY SWEET CARAMEL ICE CREAM (serves 6-8)

1 1/3 cups heavy cream, chilled

1 2/3 cups  dulce de leche

Malden sea salt or large flake sea salt – if desired

Line a 9 – inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat the cream until soft peaks form.

Pour the dulce de leche into a bowl or measuring cup

Stir two generous tablespoons of whipped cream into the dulce de leche

Now pour the dulce de leche cream mixture into the bowl of whipped cream.  Gently fold into the whipped cream until just a few streaks of whipped  cream remain.

Spoon into the prepared loaf pan , cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for several hours or  overnight.

Allow to soften briefly in the fridge, then scoop into chilled serving dishes.  Drizzle with additional dulce de leche and sprinkle with a little salt.  Serve immediately to a chorus of ooohs and aaahs.

CHEF’S NOTES:

If you can’t find dulce de leche you can make it yourself.   Remove the label from a  can of sweetened condensed milk and place the unopened can in a saucepan.  Cover with water by at least l inch and bring to a boil. Add more water to the pan when required to keep the can covered.   Simmer for up to four hours for a thick consistency.