Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream
Yield: makes about 1 quart (1 Liters) from The Perfect Scoop
Author remarks:
This ice cream tastes just like a big, moist, chewy oatmeal cookie, thanks to the winning combination of plump raising and crunchy oatmeal praline folded into a custard made with just the right touch of brown sugar.
RAISINS:
¼ cup (60 ml) water
2 Tablespoons sugar
½ cup (80 g) raisins
2 teaspoons whiskey
ICE CREAM
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1/3 cup 70 g) packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Oatmeal Praline (page 205)
To prepare the raisins, heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the raisins and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until all but about 2 Tablespoons of the syrup has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the whiskey.
To make the ice cream, warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the raisins and Oatmeal Praline.
Oatmeal Praline
Yield: makes 1 cup (175 g) from The Perfect Scoop
Author remarks:
If you take a bite of the finished Oatmeal Praline (which I don’t recommend, however tempting), you’ll find that it’s stubbornly hard. But don’t worry. Once you’ve smashed it into bits, folded it into your favorite ice cream, and left it in the freezer a bit, the pieces will soften up perfectly and become toothsome nuggets.
¾ cup (75 g) rolled oats (not instant)
½ cup (100 g) sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 350 oF (175oC).
Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the oats evenly on the sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, until the oats are fragrant and nicely toasted. Remove from the oven.
Spread the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begi9ns to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.
Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once the mixture is deep golden, remove it from the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet (lift the foil to guide them in quickly). Return the foil to the baking sheet.
Stir the oats gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the oats onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread them as well as possible. Sprinkle with the salt and let cool completely. Once firm, break the pralined oats into small pieces by pulsing them in a food processor or placing the pieces in a heavy=duty plastic back and smacking them with a mallet or rolling pin.
MIXING IT IN: Fold the Oatmeal Praline pieces into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.
STORAGE: The Oatmeal Praline can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature.
