I had never heard of tin roof ice cream before, but when I saw the picture in The Perfect Scoop, I knew I would have to try it. Of course, I feel that way about almost every ice cream recipe I see and I can only work my way through them one by one, so it took me a while to get around to it. The motivation for me to finally make this was my newfound love for honey-roasted peanuts. I first used them for Dorie’s absolutely incredible chocolate peanut butter torte, and have been devoted ever since.
This ice cream took much more forethought, planning and prep than any I’ve tried so far, but I think it was worth it. You make the chocolate-covered peanuts, the fudge ripple, and the ice cream batter. All of these need to chill, the ice cream must be churned, and then they are layered together. The result is a phenomenal frozen treat, and perfect for fans of sweet/salty desserts. The flavor is definitely sweet initially, but then the saltiness of the peanuts kicks in – delicious! My only real change was to add nearly double the amount of chocolate-covered peanuts, and I thought it was just right. Anything less would not have been enough but this way there was peanut in every bite. Maybe a bit time consuming, but definitely worth the effort.
Tin Roof Ice Cream
Ingredients:
For the chocolate-covered peanuts:
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup roasted peanuts (salted, unsalted, or honey-roasted)
For the fudge ripple:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the ice cream:
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. In the meantime, stretch a piece of plastic wrap over a dinner plate. Once the chocolate is completely melted, stir in the peanuts, coating them well. Spread the mixture onto the plastic-lined plate and chill until set. Use a chef’s knife to chop the chocolate-peanut block into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
To make the fudge ripple, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Continue to whisk just until it comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking often. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the ice cream batter, warm the milk, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan, and add the pod as well to the hot mixture. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rewarm the vanilla-infused mixture. Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl with a fine mesh sieve set over the top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then transfer the whole mixture back to the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, making sure to scrape the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream to cool. Remove the vanilla bean, wipe it clean of any egg bits, and add it back to the custard mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, remove the vanilla bean. Freeze the batter in the your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold the chopped chocolate-covered peanuts into the ice cream until they are well-distributed. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container, carefully layering it with the fudge ripple as you go. Try to avoid stirring the fudge ripple, as it will make the ice cream appear muddy. Freeze until firm.
Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
