Homemade Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream

Jan. 20, 2013 – It is 75 plus degrees in San Diego/Fallbrook, CA.  That is what happens here.  We freeze for our winter of 2 weeks and then summer decides to come visit again.  I still haven’t gotten used to it.  And after walking around all bundled up because it is only 55 outside then it jumps to 70 plus and cooks me and drys me out and my hair goes flat and no more sweaters, ugh.  But the weather likes to tease because we might get a bit of winter again here and there until March and then onward to summer, with a dash of spring in between.

Well, with 75 degrees outside, it is okay to eat ice cream.  I suppose you can with -33 degrees too but it is more appealing at 75.  I had been wanting to make some ice cream for a couple of weeks because my half and half cream has been waiting for me to use it up.  I had been thinking about peppermint ice cream because of lots of leftover candy canes but then on Friday night I prepared some caramel popcorn and had leftover caramel so we settled in on chocolate caramel ice cream because the candy canes will keep but the caramel will not.

The caramel was made using this recipe: Caramel Popcorn

You will also notice I used skim milk and half and half but if you want a richer ice cream use whole milk and cream.

Ingredients: for the chocolate ice cream

1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups half and half, well chilled
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients: for the caramel

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions: for the caramel

1) In a medium size microwavable bowl; combine butter, sugars, milk, and corn syrup.
2) Microwave for 2 minutes, stir. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir.
3) Remove from microwave and add vanilla and baking soda, stir.
4) Use 1/2 on caramel corn or save for another time.
5) Cool to use half in your chocolate ice cream.

Directions: for chocolate ice cream

1) In a blender or food processor or magic bullet (my choice), add sugar and chocolate chips.  Pulse until the chips are finely processed and immersed in the sugar.
2) Heat the milk until bubbling around the edges.  This can be down on the stove top or using the microwave.  I microwaved mine and it took about 2 minutes on high in the microwave.  I used a medium size microwavable bowl.
3) Add the hot milk to the blender, and process/pulse until the chocolate and sugar is well blended with milk and smooth. This took about 30 seconds.
4) Transfer to a medium bowl and let mixture cool completely.
5) Once mixture is completely cooled, add half and half and vanilla.  Stir.
6) Set in fridge to chill for 30 minutes or more.
7) Turn on your ice cream maker, and slowly pour chilled mixture into freezer bowl through the ingredient spout.
8) Let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9) Remove and place in another container (with lid) alternating ice cream and caramel and swirl in between each layer, using 1/4 to 1/2 of the caramel.
10) Freeze at least 2 more hours to set.

Depending on how much caramel you use will set the caramel flavor.  I only used about 1/4 of the recipe, the flavor was there but it more just mellowed out the chocolate.