{mostly} Dairy Free Salted Caramel {and praline} ice cream

Oh yes. I. Did.

 

 And its good.

 

For the record, this is a timely and laborious process, this ice cream business. But when you are deprived of that good ice-cream texture and flavor, you will go to extremes to make it happen. This was my second experience trying a dairy free ice cream, (last time was plain old vanilla.) That was also delectable. So here we go. try to keep up.

 

{{disclaimer:        this recipe calls for butter which is clearly not dairy free, feel free to replace it with Ghee, as I'm certain it would taste just as delightful.}}

 

lets start with the custard base of the ice cream. (adapted from a dairy recipe.)

 

3/4 tsp of vanilla

1 1/2	cups unsweetened almond milk
1½	cups granulated sugar
4	tablespoons salted butter
½	teaspoon sea salt
1	can of trader joes coconut cream
5	egg yolks
	Start by creating an ice bath out of a large bowl, fill it half way with ice, then with water to make the ice float. place a smaller (at least 2 quart) bowl inside of that. Put 1 cup of the almond milk into the bowl to start chilling, and set aside the other half for the next step.   Put the sugar in a large sauce pan and heat on medium until the sugar begins to melt and brown, stirring with a melt-proof spatula.   As soon as it starts to brown and smell "brown" (this wont take long) take it off the heat and add the butter and salt.    Whisk in the coconut cream until well blended and return back to the medium heat on the stove. The caramel might clump up, but keep stirring, it will melt again.   Add in the remaining almond milk and whisk together till smooth and all the caramel clumps are gone.   Take it off of the burner, and whisk a small amount of the hot caramel mixture into the egg yolks to slowly temper the eggs. Keep adding more caramel until the egg mixture is warm and then whisk the egg mixture back into the pot. WHISK IT!   heat this mixture until right before boiling. It should be steaming, but no boiling, and it will slightly thicken. Pour the custard into the cold bowl with the milk and mix occasionally as it comes to room temp.  Then chill in the fridge for several hours.   THEN- the fun part. Process it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions... and while THATS going on.. on to the praline (optional)   take that same sauce pan (all washed and dried) and put a 1/2 cup of sugar in it. On medium heat let the sugar melt and turn to caramel mixing often and before it burns, pour onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat or brushed with oil. spread the praline really thin and sprinkle with a 1/4 tsp of salt. let it cool and break it into smithereens.   When the icecream machine stops signaling that its all done, transfer it into a bowl or Tupperware and mix the praline pieces into it and put it in the freezer to set (2-4 hours).         THEN> ENJOY IT!