Apple Dumplings and Burnt Caramel Ice Cream

Tonight I learned a very valuable lesson. Before you take the time to make a homemade custard ice cream always check to make sure your ice cream maker is in good working order and never ever leave even the smallest amount of salt on your ice cream maker because that salt will erode your ice cream maker until there is a nice sized hole for all your fantastic ice cream to leak through. Also stores don’t carry ice cream makers in the winter time apparently they are a seasonal item, that season being summer. Anyway here is my recipe for Apple Dumplings and Burnt Caramel Ice Cream. Note the ice cream in the picture is not my Burnt Caramel Ice Cream.

Apple Dumplings-

2 small tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons melted butter

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Puff Pastry

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together all filling ingredients.

Roll out dough on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a rough 16- by 11-inch rectangle (about 3/4 inch thick). Halve dough lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thirds (to form 6 squares).

Divide filling among centers of squares. Bring all 4 corners together over filling and pinch together to seal. Transfer dumplings to a well-buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch ceramic or glass baking dish and arrange about 1 inch apart. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until Puff Pastry is golden and puffed.

Burnt Caramel Ice Cream

This stuff is phenomenal when you have a working Ice Cream Maker.

2 ¼ cups sugar, divided

¼ cup water

4 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided

1 teaspoon sea salt such

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cup whole milk

12 eggs yolks

Equipment: an ice cream maker that works

Heat 2 cups sugar and water in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is nice amber. (the darker you go the more intense the flavor will be)

Add 2 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Lightly whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.