Pretzel and salted caramel ice cream

Salted caramel has to be one of the greatest things on Earth. This recipe makes a mean salted caramel that you can use on so many different desserts, including this ice cream. I love the salty and sweet combination, so this dessert ticks all the right boxes.

INGREDIENTS

250ml milk

50g caster sugar

5 egg yolks, lightly whisked

375ml thickened cream

60g pretzels, broken into small pieces

pretzels, to serve

SALTED CARAMEL

115g caster sugar

2 tablespoons liquid glucose

250ml thickened cream

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

50g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

METHOD

To make the salted caramel, put the sugar, glucose and 125 ml water into a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat up to high and stop stirring; let it boil for about 5 minutes until the sugar starts to caramelise and turn into toffee. Keep an eye on it, as the sugar changes colour quickly. Once it reaches a dark golden colour, pour the cream into the hot sugar; be very careful as it will splatter. Turn the heat down to medium, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon, to bring the caramel back to the boil, then add the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk the butter one cube at a time, into the caramel. Pour the salted caramel into a heatproof jug and set aside to cool. Makes about 400 ml.

Heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan until simmering, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and slowly pour the hot milk in a steady stream over them, whisking continuously so the yolks don’t curdle. Once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and keep stirring over a very low heat until thickened, about 15–20 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon when it is ready. Remove from the heat, add 125 ml of salted caramel to the mixture, stir to mix well and set aside to cool completely.

Pour the cream into the cooled custard and stir until combined. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to get rid of any lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Churn the mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the ice cream is set, add the pretzels and churn again to combine. Drizzle 125 ml of the salted caramel over the ice cream, then using a spoon, fold the caramel into the ice cream to create swirls, but do not over stir. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and store in the freezer for a firmer texture.

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