It is HOT and humid here in Michigan and I feel like a melty, sweaty, mess.
Shade offers little respite, clothes are clingy, and the only thing that feels right is sitting in front of the AC. I can’t really wrap my head around eating or drinking anything that is even slightly warm.
Enter this ice cream. My love of ice cream will always remind me of my grandpa, an enthusiast of ice creams with fudge-y and crunchy mix-ins. Having known days before AC and refrigeration, he knew that a jump in the river, a cool drink, and a swirly ice cream cone were just the things that beat the summer heat. He was a wise man and I like to think that he would have loved this ice cream. It would have been just his style.
This ice cream is a rich and creamy summertime dream. The flavors of sweet butterscotch with deep, dark fudge, and the crunch of hazelnuts work magic here. Even though the flavors are rich and decadent, they aren’t heavy due to a lightening churn in the ice cream machine and a long freeze.
Butterscotch Fudge-Ripple Ice Cream w/ Hazelnuts
Fudge Ripple
adapted from The Perfect Scoop
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking constantly, until the edges begin to bubble. Continue whisking and bring to a low boil, cook while whisking, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool completely before layering with ice cream.
Ice cream
Adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams At Home
This ice cream base uses cornstarch instead of egg yolks as the thickener and it creates the smoothest, creamiest ice cream I have ever made. It’s definitely worth a whirl. For the butterscotch, I like to brown the butter first, just to create an additional layer of flavor and depth.
4 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups whole milk
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 -3/4 cup toasted/cooled hazelnuts, rough chopped
In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup of the milk with all of the cornstarch, set the slurry aside. In a 4 qt. saucepan melt butter and brown–taking care not to burn–and stir in brown sugar to moisten. Add remaining milk, cream, salt, and corn syrup to the pan. Bring to a low boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add slurry, return to a boil, and cook 2 minutes to thicken well. Place cream cheese in a large heatproof bowl and pour in 1/4 cup of the hot mixture, whisk to combine, then whisk in remaining mixture. Pour ice cream base into a large ziplock bag and chill in an ice bath. Once cooled, process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.
Mix-in the hazelnuts at the end of churning and layer the ice cream and fudge ripple in a freezer container, cover and freeze. You will have extra fudge which can be used for serving.
Megan
Guuuurl, that second photo is the prettiest. I want it to be the cover of a magazine! And I wish one of those spoons was mine because you better believe I need some of this in my life.
cindy
Thanks man! One of those spoons is always reserved for you!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
Ugh. I hear ya on the heat…it’s supposed to be 102 degrees in DC today! This ice cream looks awesome!
cindy
yuck! you definitely need some ice cream Maggie!
Heather
i totally get my love of ice cream from my dad and his dad – they are/were ice cream fiends!
cindy
it’s funny, most of the men in my life love ice cream…even the non-dessert eaters!
A Chow Life
I lived in Chicago for a year and couldn’t hack the heat or the winter cold. However, I always figured people who really lived there for longer were totally adapted to it. Acclimated thighs don’t stick together. Midwestern pits don’t sweat. I guess I was wrong. Good thing you can make a killer ice cream. Delicious! I would DIE for this right now! xoxo
cindy
haha! Thanks Robin!
Deb
No heat wave here along the coast, but ice cream is still a favorite! Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream cookbook just arrived at my doorstep and I can’t wait to try her method of making ice cream. Your butterscotch fudge is tempting! Your post is a refreshing and scrumptious ode to summer, delightful recipe and stunning photos!
cindy
oh, I bet you’ll love it! thank you 🙂
nicole
This looks amazing! I’m sooo making this.
cindy
yay!