Triple Maple Bacon Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
For Bacon Brittle
1 TBsp unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
3 strips bacon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Ice cream: Whisk the egg yolks, maple sugar and salt in a bowl until pale yellow. Transfer to a saucepan and whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until almost simmering (the mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon). Stir in the maple syrup. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Bacon Brittle: Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to paper towel to drain. Let the bacon cool, then finely chop.
Cook the maple sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns golden, about 4 minutes (if lumps form, remove from heat and continue to stir until melted). Continue to cook, stirring, until light amber, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter. Carefully stir in the baking soda, then the bacon and cayenne pepper. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and let cool until set, about 15 minutes. Break into bite-sized pieces, then smash about one third of the brittle into shards. Reserve the remaining brittle in a container for up to 3 days.
Stir the cream into the chilled custard. Churn in an ice cream maker. Stir in the bacon brittle shards. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
Dori Ross
Author