Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cones
A rich churned custard ice cream swirled through with homemade salted caramel, scooped generously into a crisp waffle cone for an afternoon treat.
Homemade caramel swirl makes all the difference here, since it stays soft and chewy in the freezer instead of turning rock hard like some store-bought versions. Chilling the custard base fully before churning is what gives the ice cream its dense, scoopable texture. Plan for a long freeze once it comes out of the machine.
Ingredients
Method
Tap a number to mark a step doneHeat the cream, milk, and half the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling, stirring occasionally.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, then slowly pour in the hot cream mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Strain the custard into a bowl, stir in the vanilla, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Melt the sugar for the caramel in a dry saucepan over medium heat, swirling until amber, then carefully whisk in the cream and salt off the heat.
Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, until thick and soft-set.
Layer the churned ice cream with the cooled caramel in a container, swirling gently, then freeze for at least 4 hours until firm.
Scoop the finished ice cream generously into waffle cones and serve right away while it is still cold and firm.
Kitchen note
Cool the caramel to room temperature before swirling it into the ice cream, since hot caramel will melt the custard and ruin the churn.
