Toasted Almond Ice Cream
Toasted Almond Ice Cream is a delicious and creamy homemade treat flavored with toasted almonds, natural almond extract and crunchy candied almonds. Rich with egg yolks, it’s a real treat.
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ice Cream recipes are generally very simple with a fairly short list of ingredients. I mean, basically, it’s just frozen cream.
But of course there’s plenty of chemistry working behind the scenes in every ice cream recipe. If you’re a geek like me and enjoy the science behind a recipe, you should visit this post about making Homemade Ice Cream.
For this recipe I wanted an ice cream base with a noticeably nutty flavor, which is achieved by steeping toasted almonds in the milk & cream.
I added a little natural almond extract for a “bitter almond” back-note. Bitter almond is the “marzipan” flavor in natural almond extract.
Finally, candied almonds add crunch and another layer of nutty flavor to the ice cream.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Milk/Cream – Using a combination of milk and cream results in an ice cream with plenty of fat for creaminess, but enough water from the milk for the ice cream to freeze firm enough to scoop.
- Almonds – Toasting the almonds enhances the flavor and steeping them in the cream imparts a nutty flavor to the ice cream base.
- Almond Extract – Natural almond extract is flavored with bitter almonds, which have a distinct “marzipan” flavor. The strength and flavor of extract can vary by brand so start with just a 1/2 teaspoon of extract then adjust to your taste.
- Salt – The tiniest bit of salt rounds out the flavor of the ice cream.
- Egg Yolks – Homemade ice cream made with egg yolks has a luscious custardy texture and it melts more slowly than ice cream made without eggs or yolks.
The Process
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Toast the sliced almonds in a pan over medium heat.
- Remove half the toasted almonds and reserve for flavoring the ice cream base.
- Add sugar to the pan and cook until the sugar melts and coats the almonds.
- Set aside the candied almonds to add to the frozen ice cream.
- Add the toasted almonds to the scalded milk/cream. Cover and steep for 1 hour.
- Combine the yolks and sugar.
- Re-scald the milk then strain it into the yolks. Discard the almonds.
- Cook the custard until it’s thick enough to coat the spoon. Transfer the custard to a clean container then chill until very cold.
- Run the custard in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Once the cream is thickened, add the candied almonds.
- Mix until the almonds are incorporated.
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer container. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface, then cover the container. Freeze until solid.
Toasted Almond Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 oz sliced almonds (2 cups)
- 10 oz granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups, divided)
- 12 oz whole milk (1 ½ cups)
- 12 oz heavy cream (1 ½ cups)
- 6 egg yolks
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract (see note)
Instructions
- Toast 7 oz sliced almonds in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Take the pan off the heat, remove 1/2 the almonds from the pan and set them aside for making the custard.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar over the almonds in the pan. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and glazes the almonds. Transfer the candied almonds to parchment lined sheet pan to cool. Once cooled transfer them to a covered container and reserve for adding to the frozen ice cream.
- Combine the toasted almonds with 12 oz whole milk and 12 oz heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat the milk mixture over medium high heat until scalding hot. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave it to steep for 1 hour. After an hour reheat the milk mixture to scalding.
- Meanwhile, whisk 6 egg yolks with the remaining 8 oz granulated sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Set a sieve over the bowl.
- Once the milk mixture is scalding hot, strain it into the bowl with the yolks. Discard the almonds in the sieve. Whisk together the yolks and milk/cream.
- Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Cook the custard until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not allow it to come to a boil.
- Transfer the custard back to the bowl from the yolks. Add ¾ teaspoon almond extract. Cover the bowl and chill until very cold. At least 4-5 hours or over night.
- Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream machine. Just before removing the ice cream from the machine, add the candied almond slices.
- When the ice cream is ready, scoop it into a container and smooth to an even layer. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream, cover tightly and freeze until firm.
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