Let's talk about sweet corn ice cream and how it might sound strange at first but really it will change your life. So before you tune me out and click away from me, just give it a shot, I promise you are going to love it! The first bite is unexpected in the best way possible and then from there you are hooked. I might have even eaten an ice cream cone at 10am after I made it, but I mean with corn and bacon it can be considered a well balanced meal...right?
If you haven't trusted me yet, today is the day that you start. After all sweet corn is in season and is naturally sweet...so it really only makes sense. And have you had candied bacon before or maybe you have heard it called pig candy? Because whoa, it's like the most amazing sweet and salty combo that there ever could be. So just imagine it with ice cream!
Having a barbeque? Make this ice cream. I couldn't imagine a more perfect end to a summer cookout than eating one of my sweet corn ice cream cones topped with delicious candied bacon.
Have you ever had a cookie with bacon in it? It's been happening for a while now in the cookie world, and this ice cream flavor combination is like that...but maybe better.
And really we all just need an excuse to make more ice cream...so when you buy too much corn on "accident" at the market it's ok because then you HAVE to make this ice cream and no one can judge...not that I would anyway, let's be honest.
Ingredients:
- 4 Ears of Corn, Cleaned and Kernels Removed
- 1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 1/4 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
- 4 Slices of Bacon
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
Directions:
- After you have shucked your corn, cut off kernels, and reserve cobs.
- In a large saucepan, combine your kernels, cobs included (broken in half), along with your milk and heavy cream, and the sugar.
- Bring to an almost boil and turn off heat. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes to infuse corn flavor.
- Separate your yolks from your whites into a separate bowl and whisk yolks until smooth. (you will not need the whites, so you can always save those for another recipe or egg whites for breakfast)
- When your corn mixture has finished infusing, discard cobs. With an immersion blender or regular blender puree the corn and cream mixture. Heat on medium, add your vanilla and salt.
- Once your mixture is almost bubbling, add a little corn mixture to the egg yolks (about a 1/4 cup at a time) to bring up the temperature without curdling. Do this about 4 times until you feel like your eggs are warm enough and then slowly whisk them into the rest of the corn mixture.
- Continue to heat over medium until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat, and strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids from the custard. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
- After chilled, follow your ice cream maker's instructions. You can eat immediately as a soft serve consistency or freeze overnight and have a firmer texture.
- For the bacon, heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together. On a wire rack, parchment paper, or a silpat lay your bacon out and coat with the brown sugar and cinnamon on both sides. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until bacon is cooked through and sugar is bubbly.
- You will want to line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment to make for easier clean up even if you are using a wire rack on top of your baking sheet.
- Let bacon cool, and this is when it will harden. After sugar is set and cooled, you can crumble bacon to get ready for ice cream topping.
- Scoop ice cream and top generously with bacon.
If you don't eat bacon another yummy topping would be some sort of berry sauce or maybe the berry sauce goes into the corn ice cream...or maybe you just top it with fresh berries...I'm getting distracted, the bottom line is you have to give it a try!
I'm dying to know what are you thinking? Are you jumping on the sweet corn ice cream band wagon...or are you finding another ride?
