Best Pear Caramel Ice Cream Recipes

PEAR-CARAMEL ICE CREAM SUNDAES

Steps:

• For Ice Cream:
• Melt butter in heavy 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add sugar and cook until sugar melts (mixture will be grainy for first 10 to 12 minutes) and turns deep amber, stirring occasionally and pressing on sugar lumps to break up, about 20 minutes. Add pears (caramel will bubble and harden). Increase heat to medium-high and boil until liquid thickens and pears are very tender, breaking up large pieces of caramel and stirring occasionally, about 14 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender.
• Beat yolks to blend in medium bowl. Bring cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolks. Return cream mixture to same saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 2 minutes; do not boil. Immediately add to pear mixture in blender. Add brandy if desired. Blend until smooth. Cover custard and refrigerate until well chilled.
• Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze ice cream until firm. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For Pears:
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sugar and cook until sugar turns deep amber, stirring occasionally and breaking up sugar lumps, about 20 minutes. Add pears and sauté until tender but not mushy and caramel thickens slightly, about 9 minutes.
• Arrange 6 pear slices decoratively on each of 6 plates or in shallow bowls. Scoop ice cream atop pears. Drizzle with caramel syrup from skillet and serve.

CREAMY CARAMEL-PEAR ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Cook pears, 2 tablespoons white sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until pears are soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; cool pear mixture for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Puree pear mixture and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Whisk egg yolks and 1 cup white sugar in a bowl. Heat 2 1/2 cups cream and milk in a large saucepan over medium-low heat just until bubbles appear at the edge; do not boil. Remove cream and milk from heat and whisk egg yolk mixture into cream and milk by small amounts until all egg yolk mixture is incorporated. Return to medium heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Stir strained pear mixture into custard. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill in refrigerator overnight.
• Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, unsalted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt in a heavy saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and stir until smooth; bring to a low boil. Stirring constantly, cook caramel until thickened and light golden brown, about 3 minutes; remove from heat, and let caramel cool for 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream into caramel. Transfer caramel to a bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
• Pour custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. When ice cream is softly frozen, lightly mix about 1 cup caramel into ice cream to make caramel swirls. Transfer ice cream to a bowl, cover, and freeze overnight.

PEAR-CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• 1. Dice the pears into 1/4-inch pieces. 2. Spread the sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, carefully watching and stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula until melted. 3. When the sugar is a deep amber, stir in the pears. The caramel will seize, that's ok. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally (again with a heat-proof spatula - caramel will burn heck out of you) for ten minutes. The sugar will have dissolved. 4. Remove from the ehhat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cream, then mix in the rest of the cream, salt, and lemon juice. 5. Cool to room temp, puree until smooth, press through a strainer. Chill according to your ice-cream maker manufacturer's instructions. [ed: be sure not to overchurn or you'll have buttery bits in there - not good]