Thursday 5 April 2012

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce & Salted Peanuts

Last week we suddenly experienced a mini heat wave. The sun was bright and shining and the temperature was in the low 20’s. Suddenly people everywhere were appearing in shorts and sandals, making the most of the unexpected weather. I love the feeling of stepping into the warm rays of sun, it seems to send a ripple along my arms and make me shiver – does anyone else experience this? Everything seems so much more cheery and content when the sun is shining. I even managed my first impromptu picnic of the year in Bedford park, which has to be a record!

The warm weather also brings about BBQ’s and ice cream. The latter is much more exciting for me and so I dusted off my ice cream maker and set to work. The one ice cream I always intended to make last year and never got round to was peanut butter ice cream and so naturally it was my first ice cream of choice.

I cheated slightly by using a pre-made custard as my base, you can of course make your own, but I was feeling impatient. To this I added copious amounts of crunchy peanut butter, for added texture and flavour and it was churning away in under 30 minutes.

Once softly set I had an impatient half hour wait while it chilled in the freezer until it became the perfect scoop consistency. In the meantime I made a simple chocolate sauce and crushed some salted peanuts to adorn my ice cream.

It turned out to be one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had! There was no mistaking the peanut butter! I find the flavour so satisfying and it lent a wonderfully rich and creamy mouthfeel. The little chunks of nut throughout adding a nice crunch, without being so big as to distract from the smoothness of the ice cream itself. The bitter dark chocolate ganache and the extra salty peanuts on top provided a wonderful sweet ‘n’ salty contrast. So simple yet completely delicious.

Sadly the weather didn’t last and it’s now gone back to being cold and dreary. They even have 6 inches of snow up North, talk about extremes! Hurry back sunshine!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce & Salted Peanuts
Peanut Butter Ice Cream
400g thick custard – homemade or shop bought
400ml whole milk
50g icing sugar
200g crunchy peanut butter

Chocolate Sauce
(This only makes a small amount as its best made fresh each time you want a scoop)
30g dark chocolate
2 tbsp double cream
Salted peanut to decorate

Method
Set your ice cream to freeze*
Mix the custard (cold if homemade) milk and icing sugar together.
Place the peanut butter into a small bowl and heat ever so slightly in the microwave to soften it. You don’t want it to get hot.
Whisk the peanut butter into the custard base and pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufactures instructions. It should be thick and softly set when done, about 45 minutes.
Transfer the ice cream to a large container and place in the freezer to stiffen up for about 30minutes.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a small bowl along with the cream. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, until the cream just begins to bubble. Keep an eye on it though.
Allow the mixture to sit for a further 30seconds before stirring together to create a smooth glossy sauce.
Scoop your ice cream into serving bowls, drizzle over some of the chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of chopped salted peanuts.
Eat and enjoy in the sunshine
Makes 1 litre ice cream

* If you don’t have an ice cream maker, simply pour the ice cream mix into a plastic container and place in the freezer. Take it out every half and hour and give it a bit of a whisk to ensure an even freezing, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

10 comments:

Cupcake Crazy Gem said...

Yeah I'm at my parents in Shropshire this week and we woke up to snow yesterday too - last week we were picnic-ing too on the beaches in Wales! so crazy! This ice cream looks amazing, I love peanut butter but have never tried peanut butter ice cream. I am really coveting the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer so if I cave this is surely the first recipe I will be trying!

Unknown said...

I've never tried peanut butter ice cream with me being more of achocolate or a mint girl. I will have to give this a try, as well as that self stiring/chruning thing since I don't have an ice cream machine :P

And I know what you mean about wanting warm weather. I was so nice (in the mid/high 70s) for a couple weeks and then I chop off all my hear and the next day it snowed -.-. Talk about timing.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Wow! My grandchildren will follow you anywhere :-). This looks fabulous. I'm relatively new to your blog and I don't comment often, but I wanted you to know how much I like the food and recipes you feature here. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Katie said...

Hi Mary,
Thanks for your kind words. Hope you have a wonderful Easter too :)

Elizabeth said...

This sounds and looks so delicious right now!

Chele said...

Oh wow! What an ice cream flavour treat. Your pics are fab too, really makes my mouth water.

Caroline said...

Wow, that does look amazing. I love the idea of serving it with a chocolate sauce - peanut butter and chocolate is a combo made in heaven!

Roll on the good weather again so I can make ice-cream!

Elle said...

Not a big ice crea fan, but I could go for this kind, especially with that lucious chocolate sauce and the peanuts.mmmmm.

Zainab said...

OMG!! Says my daughter!!!! She has been Droooooling over it since i dunno when.... I gotto make this for her sake... And if i m not able to i gotto ask u to make me one again;)... Beautiful recipes... First time here....!!

susan said...

That is such a simple recipe. But if I was in your place I would have made the custard using custard powder and used the ready made chocolate sauce available. Once I get a craving for sweets its just mixing ingredients and no cooking. By the way did you use salted peanut butter or unsalted one.