-I grew up a few blocks from a place called the Yogurt Mill which I still frequent whenever I am back in NorCal. I never worked at the Yogurt Mill but I certainly thought about applying for a summer job like the rest of the cute high school girls in my hometown. Drive thru fro yo - yes please!
-Beyond "the Mill," there was Swensen's, an old fashion ice cream parlor that I celebrated many birthdays at until frozen yogurt shops put them shamefully out of business. TCBY was never very good in my book but if I need something frozen when stuck at the Denver airport, I will give in. I suppose it's better for you than McDonalds (not that I would ever...)?
-Lucky Grocery Store had 35 cent cones when I was a kid which were only average in comparison to the few old fashion ice cream parlors around town.
-Baskins-Robbins was close to my grade school, made what seemed like decent ice cream cakes at the time and I did like the fact that I never had to sample the same flavor twice. By the way, I am a huge sampler much to my husband's demise. Why is sampling so embarrassing to him? I only commit once I am fully satisfed with my selection.
-The Cold Stones of the world never did much for me but the concept is fun.
-Mitchell's Ice Cream in San Francisco holds a special place in my heart because it's old fashion and they have to-die-for Oreo and Banana ice creams. Sometimes I ate them together but on a good day I would only nosh on one scoop. I even had a surprise birthday party at Mitchell's when I turned probably 25...thanks Michael, best husband ever!
-Small batch artisian ice cream is and has been hot in San Francisco for years. Bi-Rite Creamery has the best salted caramel ice cream and soft-serve hands-down. Then we moved to the land of the artisan-less food movement. Luckily I was introduced by my friend Carrie to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Little did we both know that I could find Jeni's Salty Caramel locally at a small grocer. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I met my copy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home - the cookbook. In fact Carrie got me a signed copy in San Francisco. At the book signing Carrie even got to sample a few flavors. Jeni's personal favorite is her lemon blueberry frozen yogurt.
Game over, now I can make my own salty caramel using her foolproof method. I was skeptical of the fact that she doesn't use egg yolks in her ice cream, instead using cornstarch as a thickener. Well her salty (not salted) caramel ice cream is pretty much the best at-home frozen treat I have tasted, as reference last November (I dream of ice cream post). It's tangy, salty, sweet, rich and a sheer enjoyment on a hot summer day. Jeni's salty caramel is sold for $11 a pint. I swear to my husband that I only buy it on rare occassion which is mostly true. On days like yesterday when temps hit 110 degrees, I couldn't get enough of my very own homemade Jill's Salty Caramel (recipe below pictures).
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| 1. Melted sugar before cream and honey are added |
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| 2. Cream and honey are added to make caramel |
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| 3. After cooling for 24 hours in the fridge, the base was ready to be churned |
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| 4. Voila! |
2 tablespoons whole milk 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (she uses 2 T. light corn syrup) in a pourable measuring cup
2/3 cup pure cane sugar (she uses regular sugar)
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt until smooth. I like to use a standing mixer with the whisk attachment for the cream cheese but if you have to do it by hand, be my guest.
2. Heat a medium (4 quart) heavy bottomed saucepan until screaming hot. Turn heat down to medium-high and slowly add sugar around the circumfrance of the pot and into the center. The sugar will melt from the edges inward and turn a golden amber color as shown in the photo above. Remove from heat and stirring constantly with a high heat spatula, add a bit of the cream/honey mixture. It will fizzle and pop like the second picture shows. Stir until well combined, then add a little more and stir. Keep adding the cream a little at a time until all of the cream has been incorporated.
3. Return the pan to medium-high heat add the milk. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese/salt mixture until smooth. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure that all of the cream cheese has been incorporated. Add vanilla extract and give the mixture one last stir.
5. Pour the ice cream into a 1 gallon Ziplock freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag into the ice bath (prepared in step 1). Let stand in ice bath until cold, about 30 minutes. Place freezer bag in fridge overnight before churning.
6. Churn the ice cream base in an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 20-25 minutes in most cases. Pack the ice cream into a plastic container.
7. Press a sheet of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream and close with an airtight lid. Freeze the vanilla ice cream until firm, at least 4 hours, if you can wait that long. If not, call it salty caramel soft serve.
I have made others from Jeni's book...loved all of them. The Buckeye State ice cream, roasted strawberry and buttermilk and lemon blueberry frozen yogurt. Can't beat any of these...all delish!
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