If Ben & Jerry and Stephen Colbert can Americone Dream, so can you!
Have you ever had the Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream ice cream flavor? It's my very favorite, in no small part because it's a Stephen Colbert creation: vanilla ice cream bedecked with fudge-covered sugar cone pieces and swirls of caramel. As much as I love the original, my homemade version is honestly worlds better thanks to the lack of stabilizers and additives needed to ship commercial ice cream across the country. Crushed sugar cones enrobed in dark chocolate and homemade caramel sauce can be added in perfect balance so that every bite is the best bite. No ice cream machine? No problem! The following recipe is adapted with two versions, one for an ice cream machine and one for a no-churn option.
Equipment: cutting board; chef’s knife; wet measuring cup; dry measuring cup; measuring spoons; mixing bowls; rubber spatula; wax paper; small saucepan; whisk; ice cream machine; standing mixer or hand mixer; loaf or cake pan; ice cream container (optional)
Chocolate-covered Cone Ingredients:
6 sugar cones, crumbled by hand 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips, melted
Caramel Sauce Ingredients: ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons water water ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional) ½ cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Ice Cream Machine Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
No-Churn Ice Cream Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream 1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1. First, prepare the fillings. To make the chocolate-covered sugar cones, combine the sugar cones and melted chocolate in a mixing bowl, mixing well to coat the cone pieces entirely in chocolate. Spread evenly on a wax paper-lined dish and place in the refrigerator until ready to add to the ice cream.
2. To make the caramel, stir the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil without stirring until the sugar syrup is a deep amber color, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Add in the cream carefully, as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Return the pan to low heat and stir until any bits of caramel dissolve. Add butter; whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely before making the ice cream.
IF USING AN ICE CREAM MACHINE: In a 4-cup wet measuring cup or mixing bowl, whisk the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla until dissolved. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. Churn the chilled milk mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions (generally about 20 minutes). Add the chocolate-covered cone pieces in the last minute of churning. Pour one third of the ice cream into a container and drizzle generously with caramel. Pour the second third of ice cream on top of that layer and add more caramel. Repeat with the final third of ice cream. Store tightly sealed in the freezer for up two weeks.
FOR THE NO-CHURN METHOD: Place a metal loaf or cake pan in the freezer. Beat the heavy cream using a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl and stir in the vanilla. Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream to the sweetened condensed milk to lighten the mixture. Once well incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Place the mixture in the chilled loaf or cake pan and return to the freezer for 2-3 hours. Remove the pan from the freezer, and then remove half the ice cream to an another vessel (the ice cream should be a soft-serve texture at this stage). Swiftly add half the chocolate-covered cone pieces to the ice cream, then drizzle generously with caramel. Return the rest of the ice cream to the pan and add the remaining cone pieces and drizzle generously with more caramel. Return the pan to the freezer for 4 hours, until the ice cream is fully set and ready to serve. Store tightly sealed in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Makes 4-6 servings.
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