Butterscotch Fudge-Ripple Ice Cream w/ Hazelnuts

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.