The Perfect Scoop... I'll say!

One of the best things about getting married are the presents... seriously, it almost makes it worth it... (Love you honey!)

We (notice I didn't say I honey?) received an ice cream machine from the wonderful Ava and Andy and I have put it to good use since arriving in Pasadena, having had some successes and some, uh hum, not so successful attempts at making the perfect ice cream. I own (at last count) four different cookbooks on the subject and frankly, have been mostly disappointed with the outcome of their recipes. The fact is that the recipes for the best ice creams I have made have come from other sources...

However, in a desperate attempt to find a bible for my favourite dessert, I took on faith the rave reviews of David Lebowitz's latest foray into the cookbook world and purchased his self-proclaiming title 'The Perfect Scoop'. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I did. Perhaps I would be slightly overstating things to say that David's Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream (p. 52) is a spiritual experience, but I'm prone to overstatement and challenge anyone to defy me!

In David's own words, this ice cream tastes "like a big, moist, chewy oatmeal cookie". It is a combination of a cinnamon and brown sugar ice-cream, toasted and pralined oats, and raisins soaked in a simply sugar syrup and whisky, and all in all, has a wonderful flavour and texture. The only issue I have with it is the brain freeze that consumes me when I consume it post haste!

Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream

Ingredients

Oatmeal Praline
75g rolled oats
100g sugar
pinch coarse salt

Raisins
60ml water
2 tbsp sugar
80g raisins
2 tsp whisky

Ice Cream
250ml whole milk
100g sugar
pinch salt
500ml heavy cream
70g light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Oatmeal Praline
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the oats evenly on the sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, until the oats are fragrant and nicely toasted. Remove from the oven.

Spread the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to maisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.

Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once the mixture is deep golden, remove it from the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet.

Stir the oats gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the oats onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread them as well as possible. Sprinkle with the salt and let cool completely. Once firm, break the pralined oats into small pieces by pulsing them in a food processor or placing the pieces in a havy-duty plastic bag and smacking them with a rolling pin. (The Oatmeal Praline can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature).

Raisins
Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the raisins and cook over low heat stirring frequently, until all but about 2 tablespoons of the syrup has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the whisky.

Ice Cream
Warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (the temperature of the custard will be 175 degrees F). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap (down to the surface of the custard (shown in picture to the left) to prevent the formation of a skin). Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (ideally overnight), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the raisins and Oatmeal Praline.

The photo's below depict the change in consistency of the ice cream in 5 minute increments, (including the addition of the additions at the 20 minute mark) until I put it into it's final resting place (after about 25 minutes). I don't expect it to last very long there though...