And to continue the smoke theme we made it with smoked bacon. The bacon gets cooked crisp then frozen before adding it to the ice cream so it retains a pretty good texture. Make sure to use a really good bacon with lots of flavor because you want that salty, smoky flavor to come through. Bacon & maple is a classic combination & they go together perfectly here for dessert. The ice cream has a great creamy texture. The addition of cornstarch helps it thicken up quickly into a custard.
Maple Bacon Ice Cream
(adapted from About.com)
2 c heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean
1 c maple syrup
1 T cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
1/2 c milk (skim or low fat is fine)
1/4 lb good smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces
Put the cream into a large heavy saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half & scrap the seeds into the cream with the tip of a sharp knife. Add the bean to the pot too. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.
Whisk the syrup, cornstarch & egg yolks together. Slowly whisk about a third of the cream into the egg mixture to temper it then add it back to the saucepan. Bring the mixture back up to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring all the time. The mixture should get quite thick & coat the back of a spoon, do not let it boil.
Strain the mixture into a clean bowl, making sure to remove the vanilla pods. Stir in the milk. Let cool & then chill in the fridge overnight or until completely cold.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Drain well on a paper towel. Put the bacon in the freezer until ready to add to the ice cream.
Process the ice cream according to your maker's instructions. Add the bacon during the last 5 minutes of processing.
Makes about 1 quart.
For ease of serving we made this into ice cream sandwiches with basic oatmeal cookies. It was really good but I felt like the flavor of the bacon was a little lost against the cookies.
13 comments:
Kat, my head almost exploded when I saw the title of this post. I think this just further proves the point that everything is better with bacon. Awesome recipe!
You know how to finish Smokapalooza with some fireworks! This is awesome and as much as I like cookies, I'd would be so very content with a simple bowl (with lots of big scoops) of just the ice cream. Bravo!
It looks amazing! Maple and bacon are perfect together. So good!
This is an exciting combination of flavors. I know I'd be first in line for a scoop (cookies on the side please). GREG
oh girl you kill me with this one. i love it. and want it but have a cold and can't have dairy now :-(
i didn't think your meal could get any better, but as usual, i was wrong.
oh my gosh! I need to pull my ice cream maker out of the pantry and start trying some of your ice cream recipes. YUM!!!
Looks yummy. I have yet to try ice cream with bacon or chocolate with bacon. It does look so good. I can only imagine that the saltiness is super yummy with the seet.
This sounds delicious! I've got some bacon in the fridge just looking for a good use!
On the list! Just picked up some bacon from the farm. We have to try this!
Having tried a similar recipe, I would recommend using the bacon as a topping (preferably candied). We made candy bacon bits, put them in the ice cream, and then the ice cream made the bacon too soggy -- not the best texture.
I have never tried this and never thought that there will be something like this one day. But it looks worth a try.
OH MY...does this sound good and so much fun to make!! A must try!
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