VEGAN SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM
For our vegan ice cream launch, we were looking to introduce seven flavors. We had six done and ready to go but wanted to complete our launch with a lucky seventh offering. On a lark, at the eleventh hour, we made salted caramel vegan ice cream and, just like that, we had our seventh flavor.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Immersion blender
1 cup (212 grams) coconut milk, well shaken
1 cup (212 grams) Cashew Milk
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (175 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) extra-virgin coconut oil
6 tablespoons (60 grams) cocoa butter
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
1. Pour the coconut and cashew milks into a tall (2-quart or larger) container and set aside.
2. Spread the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a clean, heavy-duty saucepan or deep skillet; oil and grease are caramel’s mortal enemies—so make sure the skillet is clean! Heat the sugar over medium heat, keeping an eye on it. Sometimes it’ll start burning in a spot beneath the surface, where you can’t see it; this happens especially if the sugar layer is pretty deep. You should see it start to liquefy at the edges first, with perhaps some random blobs in the middle. Once you spot browning at the edges, shift the sugar toward the center to prevent any burnt spots. If the caramel looks grainy, don’t worry; reduce the heat to low and stir gently and infrequently; stirring often can cause your sugar to lump and cluster instead of melting evenly. (If this happens, don’t worry; just continue to use gentle heat, stirring as little as possible, to let the caramel form and the sugar melt.) If any chunks remain, they will most likely dissolve on their own and any stubborn chunks refusing to melt can be strained out later (see Ben’s Note). Cook the caramel until it’s a rich brown color—the color of an Irish setter. Reduce the heat to low; add half of the coconut oil and stir, being careful, as caramel can spit and sputter. Stir in the remaining coconut oil until melted; stir in the cocoa butter until melted. Stir in the salt until dissolved.
3. Transfer the caramel to the container with the milks and, using an immersion blender, emulsify the liquid until uniform. Cover and refrigerate the ice cream base until chilled, 1 to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate overnight. (If you must refrigerate over-night, “loosen” the solidified ice cream base by placing the container in a bowl with some warm water until it becomes more liquid.)
4. Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles “soft serve.” Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately—it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.
ben’s note Sometimes caramel can “seize”—harden—and it can feel like a massive kitchen failure. But not all is lost! In most cases, you can rescue it, at least where this ice cream is concerned. Should this happen to you, return the whole mess to the saucepan, and over medium-low heat, stir the caramel until all the pieces have melted and the caramel is liquid again. Should any small loose, stubborn pieces remain, just discard them and proceed with the recipe as usual.
