Caramel Egg Surprise

I’m taking a break from packing up my room before heading back to school this weekend. How is it possible that I diffused every belonging of mine across every square inch of this house? Let’s forget the “school” word and dive into some mid-winter ice cream, shall we?

Introduction:

I had the original idea to be a few of my mom’s favorite foods, besides her birthday ice cream. Easter, which is one of her favorite holidays (aka candies), means Cadbury eggs! And another one of her favorite guilty treats, but don’t tell her that I know, is the bi-annual White Russian she shares with my dad. When I was little I would hear the whir of the blender after I was in bed and wonder what they could possibly be doing?

So, in semi-inspiration of my mom, here is Caramel Egg Surprise Ice Cream (the semi part is coming later)

Theory:

I couldn’t seem to compile a good recipe for caramel egg ice cream, so I improvied. I kept seeing posted recipes for Creme Egg ice cream, but ew! I am not a fan of those odd-tasting confections.

So, while 6 inches of snow fell slowly this weekend, I flew by the seat of my pants to make caramel egg ice cream. All the while battling severe cabin fever being cooped up in a house with my parents and my brother, who made a point to poke fun at me every 5 minutes. We both filled our roles well, him the older brother and me the youngest child, sticking my tongue out at him when my mom wasn’t looking.

The surprise in Caramel Egg Surprise is… you guessed it, a White Russian swirl! This too, didn’t quite follow a recipe. On second thought, this ice cream should really be called “Eh I’ll Just Wing It”.

Experimental Apparatus and Procedure:

As I threw ingredients together, I decided to try a new base method. Instead of eggs, some ice cream makers *cough Jeni Britton Bauer cough* are using cornstarch or cream cheese. It shouldn’t really make a difference in the final product, except for an infinitesimal change in the richness. But hey, if all ice cream was too rich, it would lose its magical touch!

So this time I made a slurry of cornstarch and used that to make the base. No tempering or careful spoon testing required!

Then to give the heavy cream its Easter taste, I added some semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate and finally, the Cadbury caramel eggs.

When they had all melted and the base was looking as beautiful as a chocolate fondue fountain, my mom wanders over and says oh so nonchalantly “I really don’t care for those caramel eggs.” My brain nearly poured out of my ears. Since when has my mother been known to dislike a chocolate, especially a Cadbury one?! That was the exact moment this went from being Ann-inspired to semi Ann-inspired.

Next I had to make the White Russian sauce. I wanted it to be a swirl, but it ended up a sauce. It is basically some white chocolate, heavy cream and Kahlua. And then you fold it into some freshly whipped cream and tada! It thickened in the fridge, but not to swirl-level. Nothing to cry over though, I just layered it with the chocolate caramel ice cream when it was done churning.

Results:

I am going to come right out and say it, I’m not sure if anyone in the world has thought of this before, but I am sure glad I did. Chocolate, caramel, Kahlua mixed up and put into the freezer is the best possible combination. Not to mention it comes in the best possible delivery system, a big spoonful or a homemade waffle cone.

This flavor turned out almost perfectly synced with my dreams. The only thing I wish was different about it is the caramel doesn’t come across as strongly as I wished it would. No doubt, you can taste it among that signature Cadbury chocolate, but I wanted it to be more an even balance.

The showstopper is the White Russian sauce, sorry ice cream. There is just something so perfect about it. Maybe it’s just because I’m actually eating it and not just lying in my bed wondering what is going on in the kitchen.

Discussion:

Almost my whole family had the chance to try this flavor. This was the first ice cream of mine that my brother had and his only remark was that I forgot to freeze it. That was because he didn’t wait until it was completely frozen. But if that’s all he had to say, then it must’ve been good!

This is a pintable flavor for sure. So while you curl up next to your roaring fire with a mug of hot cocoa, reconsider for a second. Then slowly put down the mug, swipe a spoon and devour a pint of this instead. You’ll be happy with your choice, I promise.

I really hope I will be able to continue my weekly flavor posts as I start back up with spring semester. But I must share that this semester is probably the hardest of my undergraduate career. I will be in the kitchen whipping something up as often as I can escape from the clutches of the lab reports.

My fun fact this week is only a little fun. My big/baby sister (depending on who you ask) has flown the nest. She’s all grown up and is now a homeowner. She’s got herself a new big girl job and is kickin’ its butt, just like I knew she would. But I can’t lie that as I look over into her empty room across the hall, I get a little sad. No more knocks on the door before bed (her) or unannounced burst-ins at midnight (me). I miss her like heck, but at least now she can’t steal all my clothes!

So my dear friends, another week and a new flavor have come and gone. I thank you as always for your loyal support. Don’t forget to subscribe and shoot me any ice cream ideas you have! Talk soon okay? Scoop ya later!