Best Prune Sherry Ice Cream With Burnt Sugar Sauce Recipes

PRUNE-ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the prunes and enough water to cover in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat. Let the prunes cool in the liquid, then drain them well. Stir in the Armagnac, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and 1 cup of the sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from cooking. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whisking the milk constantly as you pour.
• Return the custard to the stove and cook it over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and strain it into a bowl. Stir in the salt and let cool completely.
• Chill the custard until it's thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold the Armagnac-soaked prunes into the ice cream immediately after freezing while it's still soft. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 2 hours.

PRUNE SHERRY ICE CREAM WITH BURNT SUGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the prunes and 1 cup water, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the prunes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are very soft. Add the Sherry, simmer the mixture for 1 minute, and let it cool. In a food processor purée the mixture coarse.
• In a bowl whisk together 2/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, the whole egg, and the yolks and add the milk, scalded, in a stream, whisking. In a heavy saucepan bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and boil it, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in a large bowl of ice and cold water and add the prune mixture and the cream. Stir the custard mixture until it is cold and freeze it in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Line a metal loaf pan, 9 by 5 by 3 inches, with plastic wrap, spoon the ice cream into it, and freeze the ice cream, the top smoothed and the surface covered with plastic wrap, for at least 8 hours or overnight. The ice cream may be made 1 week in advance.
• In a dry large deep heavy skillet cook the remaining 1 cup sugar over moderately low heat, undisturbed, until it is melted, increase the heat to moderate, and cook the sugar, swirling the skillet occasionally, until it turns a deep caramel. Remove the skillet from the heat, pour 1 cup hot water carefully into the side of the skillet, and boil the burnt sugar sauce, stirring, until it is syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup. The sauce may be made 1 week in advance and kept covered and chilled. Unmold the ice cream and serve it, sliced, with the sauce, warm or at room temperature, and sprinkled with the almonds.