Chocolate Chip Waffle Caramel Swirl Vanilla Ice Cream

Sometimes after a long week you just need to make ice cream.  Sometimes after running a 10K you really need to make ice cream.  Plus you might just have left over waffle pieces from say these chocolate-chocolate chip waffle ice cream sandwiches that you have been saving to put into ice cream.  

Ice cream is the one thing that I super crave sometimes.  I can literally sit down and eat an entire pint of the stuff for dinner and I must admit that occasionally I do.  What can I say...sometimes you have a bad day.  I know, I know you are supposed to eat for nourishment, NOT to make yourself feel better.   BUT you know what some days I just don't care.  Sometimes you have a week where you have to see people you don't want to see.  Sometimes you grit your teeth and just smile on the outside.  Then you go for a run to take your mind off of things...and well then make ice cream.  Sometimes this is exactly what you need to get out of the funk and on with a fantastic weekend.  

Can you tell last week was harder than normal?  Trust that it totes got better and ended with a great lunch and yummy dessert on Sunday.

Okay so this ice cream has chocolate waffle pieces covered in extra chocolate with caramel swirls and a vanilla base.  The waffle pieces with the chocolate crunch add soft and hard textures to this ice cream.  The caramel swirl adds a smooth deep almost earthy flavor and the vanilla just lightens the overall flavor.  

I have to admit...I don't know what is up with my ice cream maker, but the texture was a bit icey...do you know what I did wrong? I think it must be that I only had 2 cups of half-n-half, so I tried substituting with heavy cream.  So don't do what I did and instead follow the recipe directly from Mr. Alton Brown and all should be good!  Enjoy!

Have you ever run on a freeway?  

Well I can now say yes...the start and the end to the Lawyers Have a Heart 10K

This is our egg base...

Time to heat the milk...I am finally using my candy thermometer.  Thanks Mom!

Remember when I didn't own this and ended up with Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Toffee?

My leftover waffle pieces that I had frozen just for this time.

Ice cream ready for the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Waffle Caramel Swirl Vanilla Ice Cream: (vanilla ice cream recipe from Alton Brown)

3 cups half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

8 large egg yolks

9 ounces sugar (approximately 1 1/8 cups)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

leftover chocolate waffle pieces

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Caramel Sauce: (recipe from Joy the Baker)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water

1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup

3 tablespoons salted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Place the half-and-half and the heavy cream into a medium saucepan, over medium heat.  Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.

2.  In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine. 

3.  Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about a third of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. 

4.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. 

5.  Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.

6.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. 

7.  Cut left over waffle pieces into 1 inch pieces and drizzle with melted chocolate.  Set in refrigerator to cool.

8.  Prepare caramel sauce:  In a medium sauce pan, over medium-high heat combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup together.  Whisk the sugar occasionally as it begins to heat, to ensure that the sugar cooks evenly.  Cook the sugar to a nice dark copper color. The sugar will go from golden to dark copper fairly quickly. To help control the sugar, turn off the heat and move the pot to a cool burner just before you reach the dark color you’d like. The bottom of the pan will still be hot enough to continue to cook the sugar.

9.  Over low heat, whisk butter, all at once, into the copper-colored sugar.  When butter is melted, pour in the cream.  The mixture will bubble and froth, but keep mixing. When bubbling subsides, add vanilla extract.  Stir.  The caramel might feel too loose.  Don’t worry; it will thicken as it cools.  Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow to cool so that it is ready to add to the ice cream.  

10.  Once ice cream is done in the ice cream maker, pour in to a plastic container.  Mix in the prepared waffle pieces then swirl in some caramel.  Top with more caramel drizzle and place in the freezer to harden for 3-4 hours.  Serve and Enjoy!