Cuisinart Ice Cream Recipes: Rich Salted Caramel Vanilla Custard Base

Instructions:

1. Make the Dry Caramel: Combine sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring (swirling the pan occasionally), until the sugar dissolves, bubbles, and turns a deep amber colour.
2. Add Dairy: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gently pour in the warm heavy cream (it will bubble vigorously – stand back!). Stir quickly until smooth.
3. Finish the Caramel: Stir in the butter and flaky sea salt. Pour the caramel into a separate jar and let cool completely. Chill until ready to use, reserving about 2 tablespoons for garnish.
4. Infuse the Dairy: In the saucepan, combine the whole milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, the fine sea salt, and the vanilla bean (pods and scraped seeds). Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes to allow the vanilla to steep.
5. Whisk Yolks and Sugar: In the large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining sugar vigorously until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened (ribbon stage).
6. Temper the Yolks: Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg/sugar mixture while whisking constantly. This warms the eggs gently (tempering).
7. Cook the Custard: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining dairy. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula, scraping the bottom constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (nappe stage), reaching 175°F (80°C) to 180°F (82°C). Do not allow it to boil, or the custard will scramble.
8. Chill Thoroughly: Immediately strain the hot custard through the fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl containing the remaining 1 cup of cold heavy cream (this stops the cooking process). Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until completely cold.
9. Prepare the Machine: Ensure the Cuisinart freezer bowl is rock-solid frozen.
10. Churn: Pour the chilled custard base into the running Cuisinart machine. Churn for 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and soft-serve consistency.
11. Add the Swirl: In the last 2 minutes of churning, slowly drizzle in the majority of the chilled salted caramel sauce (leave some for topping, if desired).
12. Harden: Transfer the soft ice cream into the pre-chilled airtight freezer container. Freeze for a minimum of 2-4 hours to allow it to fully harden. Serve slightly softened (allow 5 minutes on the counter before scooping).