Toasted Brioche Ice Cream with Raspberry Caramel Swirl
A sweet custard ice cream base base infused with toasted brioche bread, and then swirled with a jammy hibiscus raspberry caramel sauce that you'll want to drizzle over everything!
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts (about 12 servings)
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 45 minutesminutes
Total Time: 8 hourshours
Ingredients
For Raspberry Caramel:
1cup/ 115gfresh or frozen raspberries
2tablespoons/ 10gdried hibiscus flowers
2tablespoonswater
1tablespoonlemon juice
½cup/ 100ggranulated sugar
2tablespoons/ 42gcorn syrup
2tablespoonswater
¼cup/ 60gheavy cream, at room temperature
pinchsea salt
For Toast Ice Cream:
2slicesbrioche bread, or whatever your favorite bread for toast is
1teaspoonsalted butter, softened
1 ½cups/ 360gheavy cream, divided
1 ½cups/ 360gwhole milk, plus more as needed
⅔cup/ 133ggranulated sugar
¼teaspoonsea salt
5large egg yolks
½teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
To make raspberry caramel, first prepare the hibiscus raspberry juice. Combine raspberries, dried hibiscus, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, smashing the berries as they soften. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much of the juice as possible. You should end up with about 1/3 cup. (You'll only need 1/4 cup for the recipe, any excess makes delicious drink, stirred into a ginger beer or club soda with a splash of your favorite liquor).
In a medium, high-sided saucepan, dump sugar in a pile in the middle of the pan. Add corn syrup, then drizzle water around the edges. Cover and place over medium heat. Let it come to a simmer with the lid still on (the condensation will help 'wash' any stray sugar crystals off the sides of the pan). You shouldn't need to stir the mixture at all for the sugar to completely dissolve into a crystal clear, bubbling liquid.
Continue to cook, without stirring, until sugar starts to darken to a light amber brown. Watch it carefully as it can burn quite easily if you're not paying attention!
Remove from heat and whisk in cream (it will bubble and spit violently so please be careful not to get burned). Once the caramel has calmed down a bit, add salt and 1/4 cup of raspberry juice, whisking until smooth. Set aside and let cool, then transfer to a jar or other lidded heat-proof container and refrigerate until completely cooled and you're ready to use it.
To make toast-infused ice cream, first spread a thin layer of butter over bread slices. Toast in a broiler until deep golden brown (watch them carefully so they don't burn). Flip and toast the other side as well.
Combine 1/2 cup of cream and 1 1/2 cups milk in a saucepan. Tear bread into chunks and submerge into liquid. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just starts to steam.
Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes to infuse the bread flavor. Pour through a fine mesh sieve, pressing out as much liquid from the soaked bread as possible. Measure the strained milk and add additional milk as necessary to bring it back to 2 cups (different kinds of bread will absorb more/less of the milk).
Meanwhile, assemble an ice bath by pouring the remaining 1 cup of the heavy cream into a heat-proof bowl and nest inside a larger bowl filled with ice water. Alternatively, you can use a gallon sized freezer bag nestled in a bowl of ice water. Place a fine mesh sieve over the top of the bag or bowls.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks until smooth.
Return strained milk to saucepan, discarding soaked bread. Add sugar and salt and warm over medium heat, until it starts to steam and barely bubble around the edges (do not let it boil).
Slowly whisk some of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, drizzling in 1/3 cup or so at a time, until about half of the cream mixture has been incorporated and yolk mixture is warm to the touch. You want to do this gradually; doing so will temper the egg yolks rather than cook them.
Pour yolk mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spatula, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until it reaches approximately 175ºF. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into cold cream, discarding any solids. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover with plastic wrap, carefully pressing wrap down onto the surface of the cream mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming on top of the custard. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 3 hours or overnight if possible. Pre-freeze the container you will be storing your ice cream in for at least 30 minutes as well.
When ice cream base is thoroughly chilled, churn ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions until it is the consistency of soft serve.
Take out your frozen container and put a few dollops of raspberry caramel in the bottom. Spread a layer of churned ice cream, then drizzle generously with more caramel. Repeat two or three more times, ending with a drizzle of caramel. You may not use all the caramel, that's ok (save it to serve on top). Press a layer of parchment paper on the top of the container to prevent freezer burn, then freeze at least 2 hours or overnight until firm.