I grew up with toffees of various kinds – English toffees in white wrappers, salt water taffy, and toffee apples at farm fairs. Toffee is different from caramel in that it uses dark brown sugar or molasses along with butter. When put in ice cream, it makes for an unbelievably rich and sweet experience.
I like leaving big chunks of the cooled candy in the ice cream, although I have also experimented with adding the toffee while it is still warm and letting it melt into the freezing ice cream mix. It turns the finished product toffee-coloured and gives it a uniform texture and flavour that is great if you like a smooth ice cream. This recipe uses cold toffee. Just be ready – it does stick to the teeth!
MURPHYS TOFFEE (TAIFI) ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
- 130g sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 240 ml cream
- 200 ml milk
- 100 grams of toffee candy
What to do:
- Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
- Bring the milk to a low simmer.
- Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
- Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
- Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
- Immediately remove from the heat.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Break up the toffee candy into small pieces. (This might be easier if the toffee is cold!)
Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).- Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
- Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, adding the toffee when the ice cream is already quite solid.
- Otherwise, cover and place in the freezer, again adding the toffee when it has become semi-solid.
- If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.
Note:
To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.
Yield: 8 servings
The internet is so chock full of people showing all the yummy things they’re making and I only have one stomach…dang it…this looks soooooooo good. That dark toffee looks amazing, great contrast in colours! Dang my one stomach, why couldn’t I have been born a cow?????????
Hi Kieran, roughly, how long does it take to make ice cream in an ice cream maker? I aquired an ice-cream m/c a few months ago but unfortunately, did not aquire the instructions along with it!!! I tried your banana / choc ice cream a few weeks ago but not realising the bowl went into the freezer, ended up with a curd & whey mess. I froze the bowl last night for vanilla ice cream but it took ages so I ended up transferring the mixture into the freezer (tastes brill). If I knew how long, I could just relax & leave it. Sarah
I feel the same way, Tace! And Sarah – it should take 10 – 15 minutes if the base is good and cold. Make sure you freeze the base over-night and that your freezer is at least -18C, but the colder the better for ice cream. If you have a chest freezer, keep it there, as they are usually colder. Remember that the ice cream won’t get fully hard, but it should be thick when you take it out – perhaps the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. At least it worked this time!
Ah, no, the ice-cream was churning away for well over an hour without getting to that consistency. I’ll have to check the freezer temperature… Really looking forward to testing it out now…
Mmmmmm! Lovely and a bit decadent too 🙂
Make sure the freezer is cold and you leave it long enough. Let me know how you get on!
I put it into the freezer when it was semi-frozen and left it there overnight. As I said in another comment I just made, it was fobolos!!!
I first started making ice creams using the freezer bowl method that Sarah is having problems perfecting. Bowls need to freeze for at least 6 hours, but longer is better.
I find the best flavor when the base is refrigerated overnight. My feeling is that ice cream, like soup or stew is better the day after it is made. The flavors have had more time to mingle and get to know each other.
When you put the ice cream in the refrigerator for the evening also put the bowl in the freezer. The next day, freeze as usual.
By the way, Sarah, make sure that the custard is cold as well before you put it in the ice cream machine. It would definitely slow down the ice cream making process.