Blaze's Peanut M&M Ice Cream

Pin It

I'm kind of obsessed with making ice cream. Especially since getting Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home. I had been trying to think of a reason to make the three hour drive to Columbus to try Jeni's ice cream in one of her shops. Now I don't have to since.

Jeni is know for her high-quality, artisanal ingredients, and unusual flavor combinations such as Goat Cheese and Roasted Cherries, Poached Pear and Riesling Sorbet, and Bangkok Peanut.

A fellow blogger friend warned me that her method for making ice cream was probably different than what I had used before and she was right. Small quantities of corn syrup, cream cheese, and corn starch and the absence of eggs makes her ice cream recipes unique. Honestly, I wasn't sure about it when I read through the process and even after making my first batch (Salty Caramel - out of this world good and completely deserving of its cult following) until I tasted it.

Creamiest ice cream I have ever tasted. Thick. Luxurious.

The process may look overwhelming, but it really is quite simple. After three batches, I can make any add-ins (caramel, chocolate paste) and the base on ice in about thirty minutes. Mise en place is your friend here.

Blaze's Peanut M&M Ice Cream came about after my daughter's boyfriend and I were talking about how much we loved peanut M&Ms. After realizing I had never seen the peanut variety of M&M's in ice cream, I decided it was time for me to change that and make some for Blaze and me.

I used the base recipe from the book and then swirled in fudge ripple made from my other ice cream god's book, David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. After unsuccessfully trying to neatly chop the M&Ms, a generous scoop of gently crushed candies were added at the end.

Rich vanilla ice cream mixed with the rich fudge sauce creating a not-quite vanilla/not-quite chocolate flavor that was delicious. Pieces of chocolate candy and peanuts added crunch and textural variety. So good.

What's your favorite flavor?

Linking to:

Friday Potluck

Friday Flair
Sweet Tooth Friday

Blaze's Peanut M&M Ice Cream

adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, Jeni Britton Bauer

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup fudge ripple (recipe below)

1 cup coarsely crushed peanut M&Ms

PREP

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

COOK

Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

CHILL

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

FREEZE

Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. Swirl in the fudge ripple and peanut M&M's and mix just until combined, about 30 seconds.

Pack the ice cream into a storage container. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Fudge Ripple

The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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 until the mixture just comes to a boil. Cook for 1 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.