Peanut butter and salted caramel ice cream

Method

• step 1

  Make the caramel by heating the sugar in a pan over a medium heat – use a silver or pale-coloured pan so you can see what colour your caramel is, and make sure it’s big enough to take the sugar in a thin layer. Once the sugar starts to melt, tilt the pan and swirl the contents to keep the heat consistent. Use a wooden spoon to stir the edges into the centre if you need to.

• step 2

  Keep cooking until the sugar caramelises to a dark gold. Take off the heat, add the salt flakes and leave to cool a little. Pour onto an oiled baking sheet and tip into as thin a puddle as you can. Be careful as the sheet will get very hot.

• step 3

  For the ice cream, melt the sugar in the same way, and once it is caramelised, add the butter and cream and re-melt everything together. pour this mixture into the egg yolks and whisk well. Add the milk and then strain the lot back into a clean pan. Cook gently over a medium heat, stirring all the time until the mixture begins to thicken a little. Don’t overcook it or it will scramble. Stir in the peanut butter. Tip into an ice-cream machine or freezerproof box and churn or freeze until the mixture is almost set. If you use a box then beat the mixture vigorously once or twice while it firms up.

• step 4

  Meanwhile break the caramel into chunky pieces. Stir these into the ice cream but don’t over mix – you want seams rather than an even distribution. Spoon into a freezerproof box, terrine or loaf tin and freeze overnight. Scoop or slice to serve.