Maple Bacon Ice Cream

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

BYOC: Try adding some cayenne pepper to your chopped bacon before you stir it into the melted sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grade B maple syrup
  • 4 cups half and half
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 pound thick cut bacon, about 6 slices

Method

  1. Tools needed: candy thermometer
  2. In a medium saucepan over moderate heat reduce maple syrup to 1/2 cup. Set aside.
  3. Over moderate heat in a medium sauce pan heat half and half with 1/2 cup sugar until hot and just bubbling around the edges.
  4. In a medium bowl whisk yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, then add 1 cup of hot half and half mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour the whole egg mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of  a wooden spoon and registers 170°F on thermometer, do not let boil. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and whisk in maple syrup.  Cover with parchment paper letting the paper touch the surface of the mixture, to prevent a skin from forming. Chill mixture until very cold, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Place a baking rack over the lined sheet pan and arrange bacon slices across the rack next to each other. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.  When cool enough to handle finely chop.
  7. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a fork, until sugar starts to melt. Stop stirring and cook until sugar is a golden caramel color.  Add the bacon and stir to coat. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and let harden. Chop bacon into small pieces.
  8. Freeze custard in ice cream maker and at the last minute add candied bacon and let churn until just combined. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze.