Caramel Apple Cheesecake Ice Cream

Inspired by a caramel apple cheesecake I have made for several Thanksgivings, I decided to continue with my apple baking, and make an ice cream that paid homage to that fall dessert my family enjoys so much. Caramel apples are so synonymous with carnivals and harvest festivals, the decadent rich caramel and crisp apple are perfect for autumn, and the perfect combination of flavors to blend with tangy cream cheese. Where buttermilk ice cream is light and delicate, this cheesecake one is rich and creamy. Plain old classic cream cheese is the key to its success, just like a cheesecake it can be temperamental, so it’s important to give this ice cream base the proper love, care and attention. Eaten on its own, it exudes the tangy flavor of a baked cheesecake, but it makes for the perfect base for any add-ins your imagination allows. Each bite is like a bite of cheesecake covered in caramel, and each piece of apple tastes like it was decadently baked for hours in brown sugar. The weather may be cooling off but ice cream is always in season and the comforting flavors of this one will be satisfying me all fall long. 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients {Makes 1 1/2 Quarts}

5 large – Egg Yolks

3/4 cup – Granulated Sugar

8 ounces – Cream Cheese {room temperature}

2 cups – Heavy Cream

1 cup – Milk

1 tablespoon – Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract

4 tablespoons – Unsalted Butter

2 cups {about 2 medium} – Apples {cored, and thinly diced}

1 tablespoon – Ground Cinnamon

1 tablespoon – Brown Sugar

Caramel Sauce {use store-bought or make your own, recipe here}

Recipe

To make the base, stir the cream, milk, and half of the sugar {6 tablespoons} into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the yolks, just to break them up, then add the remaining sugar and whisk until combined. Set aside. Place the cream cheese into a heat-proof bowl, set aside. When the cream mixture begins to bubble around the edge, remove from heat. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk-cream into the yolk mixture, while whisking quickly {make sure the eggs don’t curdle}. Add one more ladle of the hot mixture into the yolks, and whisk quickly. Stir the cream base as you slowly add the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it has thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon, holding a clear path when you run your finger. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over an ice bath, and stir occasionally, with a clean spatula, until cooled to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap right onto the surface, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. {Note: the base must be cold at least 2 hours before adding the lemon juice, or else the mixture will break up and not emulsify, meaning it will separate and won’t churn} Whisk the lemon juice and vanilla into the cold base, until incorporated well.

For the brown-butter apple mixture, 

Freeze the ice cream, in your ice cream machine following your manufacturer’s directions. While the ice cream churns, put the container that you’ll keep your ice cream in the freezer. The ice cream is ready once it reaches the consistency of soft-serve, or the paddle creates a distinctive path as it churns. Scoop your churned ice cream into the cold container, dollop the brown-butter apple mixture atop and drizzle with a few teaspoons of caramel. Stir slightly to make sure everything is incorporated well. Smooth top, and drizzle with another teaspoon of caramel. Enjoy right away, or freeze at least 4 hours.