Honey Vanilla Bourbon, Caramel, and Gingerbread Wafer Ice Cream
Being lactose intolerant has never stopped me from a nice little sweet treat. I had some leftover ingredients from the holiday season laying around and I have always been a little resourceful barbie in the kitchen.
During my last unsupervised visit to World Market, I grabbed these Quadratini Gingerbread, Creme-Filled Wafer Cookies. They were such a big hit that I had to go back a week later and grab 3 more bags of them. The photo is below in case you'd like to add them to your ice cream recipe. They are an optional addition, but they add some crunchy texture and spiced flavor to your creamy snack!
Everything else is pretty ordinary – but together, they make an unforgettable late night treat.
Ingredients
1½ cups heavy cream + extra for a splash at the end
1½ cups whole milk
⅔ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg yolk
2 tbs honey bourbon (I prefer Wild Turkey American Honey)
½ cup caramel chips
½ cup wafer cookies (optional)
Directions
In a medium pot, combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Warm over medium heat while stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble rapidly.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
In a separate small bowl, beat 1 egg yolk. Pour in ⅓ cup of your milk mixture and combine quickly.
Pour the milk/egg blend back into the rest of the pot and whisk until well combined.
Add in the bourbon and stir gently until it disappears.
Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl with a lid and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Set up your ice cream maker to begin stirring
Remove the mixture from the fridge and whisk quickly before slowly pouring it into the machine.
Let it churn for about 30-35 minutes. You should see peaks form and the batter thicken.
While churning, put ½ cup of caramel chips and a splash of heavy cream into a small microwavable bowl and warm in the microwave at 30 second increments until fully melted.
2 minutes before stopping your ice cream maker, chop the wafer cookies into your desired size (I did mini cubes but crushed also works well) and slowly pour into the side of the batter.
Transfer the batter into an airlight container using the following method: Thin layer of ice cream, swirl in the liquid caramel, another layer, another swirl of caramel. Repeat. The caramel needs to be a liquid so if it hardened while you were prepping the wafers, put it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds.
Freeze overnight. In the morning, scoop and enjoy it for breakfast. You are an adult with free will! Have fun.
