Double Almond Ice Cream

Double almond ice cream earns its name with two distinct hits of almond: pure almond extract whisked into the custard base for deep flavor, and butter-sugar candied almonds folded in for crunch. The result is a French-style custard ice cream with a fragrant, marzipan-like aroma and toasty caramelized almond bits in every bite.

The custard base is the foundation. Heavy cream, milk, and sugar get warmed, then tempered slowly into beaten egg yolks before cooking gently in a double boiler until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. This is the classic creme anglaise method that gives premium ice creams their silky, scoopable texture.

The candied almonds are the smart-cook flourish. Butter and sugar caramelize together for 30 seconds, then chopped almonds toast in the syrup until golden and coated. This is essentially a quick praline. The almonds add toasty depth, and the caramelized sugar coating creates pockets of crunch that hold up against the freezing.

Pro Tips

• Temper the eggs slowly. Pour about a cup of hot cream into the beaten yolks while whisking constantly, then return everything to the pot. Going too fast scrambles the eggs.
• Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve before chilling. This catches any tiny scrambled bits and produces a perfectly smooth ice cream.
• Chill the custard base completely before churning, ideally overnight. Warm bases churn into icy, grainy ice cream.
• Watch the candied almonds carefully. Sugar moves from amber to burnt in seconds, a few seconds too long means bitter almonds and a wasted batch.

Variations

• Use roasted, salted almonds instead of plain for a salted-caramel-almond version.
• Add a tablespoon of amaretto liqueur to the cooled custard for a grown-up almond ice cream.
• Swirl chocolate fudge sauce or raspberry preserves through the soft-churned ice cream before final freezing.