Rhubarb Crisp Icecream

This was a lot of prep work, but so good! The Robber loves rhubarb crisp so I thought why not try and take it up a level and make rhubarb crisp icecream? Well, the Robber always would rather have the simpler version of things, but he certainly wasn't complaining! What I like about this recipe is that the brown sugar icecream is a nice base that you could add a lot of different fruit-nut-whatever to and come up with something delicious. It goes along with my new philosophy that cooking is like street style fashion. You don't have to love the whole outfit.... just you know. Something. Right.

Note: The caramel for the nuts takes less than ten minutes to make, so don't try to make it while the oats are in the oven, because then your caramel will get overdone while you wait for the oats. Yes. This is what happened to me.

From Eggs on Sunday:

http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/rhubarb-crisp-ice-cream/

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 C. whole milk

1/2 C. granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

2 C. heavy cream

1/3 C. packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

5 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, brown sugar and cinnamon; set a mesh strainer over this bowl and set aside.

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture has warmed, slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Transfer the entire custard mixture back into the medium saucepan.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the bowl containing the heavy cream, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then stir in the vanilla. Set into an ice bath to cool thoroughly.

4. Freeze in your ice cream maker, adding the stewed rhubarb (see below) and oatmeal praline (see below) during the last few minutes of churning. Add the rhubarb first, making sure it’s swirled throughout the frozen ice cream, then add the oatmeal praline.

Makes a generous quart.

Stewed Rhubarb

Note: This recipe makes a little more than you need for the ice cream. Stir in as much as you like while the ice cream is churning, and save any extra to top the ice cream or to stir into yogurt, etc. I also used slightly less sugar than originally called for, as I didn’t want the end product to be too sweet when combined with the sweet ice cream base.

You can make this ahead and refrigerate it.

Ingredients:

12 oz. rhubarb

2/3 C. water

1/2 C. sugar

Directions:

1. Wash and trim the ends of the rhubarb. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a medium saucepan with the water and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Oatmeal Praline

Ingredients:

3/4 C. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/2 C. sugar

Pinch of coarse salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the oats evenly on the sheet and bake in the oven, about 10 minutes, or until they’re fragrant and toasted. Remove from oven; transfer the oats to a bowl and return the foil to the baking sheet.

2. Spread the sugar evenly in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook over medium heat, watching carefully, until the sugar begins to liquefy and darken around the edges. When it begins to do this, you can stir it gently with a heatproof spatula to moisten and melt the remaining sugar crystals.

3. Continue gently stirring and tilting the pan until all of the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. When it’s turned a deep golden color, turn off the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet.

4. Stir the oats quickly but gently to coat them all with caramel, then scrape them onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Spread them out as best you can, sprinkle with the salt and let them cool completely. Once they’re cool, you can break them into smaller chunks by either pulsing them in a food processor or placing them in a large ziptop bag and smacking them with a meat mallet or rolling pin (I opted for this latter method.)

Makes about 1 cup.