If Cookies & Cream and Salted Caramel had a love child it would be this.
The best part about homemade ice cream is that every bite can and should be the best bite, You can add as much of the good stuff as you want. Cookies & Cream is a coveted flavor but the following recipe is 2.0 ice cream heaven! Swirls of French caramel surround big chunks of Oreo cookies, brought to life with flakes of black lava salt. After one bite of this, you'll never want regular Cookies & Cream again. 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; small saucepan; whisk; ice cream machine; standing mixer or hand mixer; loaf or cake pan; ice cream container (optional)
Caramel Sauce Ingredients: ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons 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
16 Oreos, crushed
black lava salt
No-Churn Ice Cream Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream 1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 16 Oreos, crushed
black lava salt
1. First, prepare 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 crushed Oreos in the last minute of churning. Pour one third of the ice cream into a container and drizzle generously with caramel and sprinkle with lava salt. Pour the second third of ice cream on top of that layer and add more caramel and lava sat. 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 crushed Oreos to the ice cream, then drizzle generously with caramel and sprinkle with lava salt. Return the rest of the ice cream to the pan and add the remaining crushed Oreos and drizzle generously with more caramel and lava salt. 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.
