I’ve already shared one recipe in this series: my Pink & Green Checkerboard Biscuits, inspired by Rosamund and Posy Li, two of the new characters in Season 4. Today’s recipe is inspired by their mother: Araminta Gun, the Evil Stepmother-esque antagonist of the season, played by Katie Leung (whom you might recognise as Cho Chang from the Harry Potter films!).

Table of Contents

• The Inspiration
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• How to Make Double Chocolate Espresso Millionaire’s Tartlets
  • Making the Chocolate Shortbread Dough
  • Pressing the Shortbread into the Tartlet Tins
  • Baking the Shortbread
  • Making the Espresso Caramel
  • Making the Ganache
    • Microwave Method
    • Hob Method
    • Serving Instructions
• Recipe

The Inspiration

Araminta Gun is the archetypal ‘Evil Stepmother’; she’s twice-widowed, always wearing black and positively brimming with nefarious schemes. When it came to creating a sweet treat inspired by her character, I immediately thought of some sort of double-chocolate tart (I mean, with that all-black wardrobe, it was kind of a must!): chocolate pastry and a dark, chocolate filling for a super moody, but still sophisticated and elegant treat. I actually received some tartlet tins (these ones, from Lakeland!), for my birthday last year, so I decided to make mini tarts instead of one big tart (one of the best decisions I could have made, as it turns out— more on that in a sec!). I also love making my Bridgerton-inspired recipes feel like they could fit right in at a fancy afternoon tea, so tartlets seemed like the perfect choice.

I absolutely could have made a simple, dark chocolate ganache tart with a chocolate pastry, but I wanted something a little bit more unusual for this recipe. I toyed with a couple of different ideas, but eventually settled on something that I was really excited about: a Millionaire’s Shortbread-inspired, espresso-flavoured tart. If you aren’t familiar with Millionaire’s Shortbread, it’s a super popular treat here in the UK: it’s typically served in bar form (like a brownie or slice) and features a layer of shortbread, a layer of condensed milk caramel and a layer of chocolate.

Money plays a key role in Araminta’s storyline, so the whole ‘millionaire’ vibe seemed like a perfect fit. She’s by no means a sweet character though and Millionaire’s Shortbread is (perhaps infamously) a very sweet dessert, so I wanted something that, along with the darker, double-chocolate element, would tone that sweetness down and speak more to the bitterness of her character: enter, the espresso. Chocolate and coffee is such a classic pairing (it even has a name: mocha!), so this flavour combination isn’t anything groundbreaking, but the tartlets still feel pretty unusual and exciting (while still being absolutely delicious and very palatable)!

While you would usually use pastry for a tartlet, I’ve opted to use a shortbread base here for a few reasons. Firstly, I wanted to stick as closely as possible to a typical Millionaire’s Shortbread. Secondly, the added sweetness of the shortbread compared to a pastry actually works really well in this recipe, because both the espresso and chocolate are, well, not so sweet. Thirdly (and finally), I actually have a bit of a mental block about pastry: I just haven’t been able to master it yet! This shortbread base is SO much easier to work with than a classic shortcrust pastry: it’s really great!

So, in summation: my Araminta Gun-inspired, Double Chocolate Espresso Millionaire’s Tartlets feature a chocolate shortbread crust, an espresso caramel filling and a shiny, dark chocolate ganache glaze. All of these elements come together to make the slightly more refined, much less sweet cousin of the Millionaire’s Shortbread and, I have to say, they might just be one of my favourite treats yet!

Equipment

As I mentioned, I used these tartlet tins from Lakeland for this recipe. They’re 10cm in diameter, 2cm deep, non-stick and have fluted edges and removable bases.

If you’re able, I really do recommend making this recipe in tartlet form: I’ve tried it in a couple of different formats (bars, bigger tarts etc.) and the ratio of the different layers is just perfect in the mini form! Plus, they slice so beautifully and look so pretty: I might just have to start developing even more tartlet recipes so we can all justify the presence of specialist tartlet tins in our kitchens…

Ingredients

To make these Double Chocolate Espresso Millionaire’s Tartlets, you will need:

• Caster sugar

I use golden caster sugar here, as I do for most of my bakes, because I think it adds a deeper flavour. If you only have white caster sugar though, that will work absolutely fine!

• Butter

I’m using salted butter here, because the salt really enhances the chocolate flavour and helps to temper the sweetness of the caramel. If you only have unsalted butter to hand, that’s absolutely fine— just add a pinch or two of fine sea salt to both the shortbread and the caramel.

• Plain flour

Don’t be tempted to use self-raising flour here, or your shortbread will puff up too much and you won’t be able to fit the fillings into the tartlet cases!

• Cocoa powder

Cocoa powder is what turns regular shortbread into chocolate shortbread. It is quite a drying ingredient though, so the amount of butter in the shortbread is increased slightly to ensure the dough comes together perfectly.

• Condensed milk

Ah, condensed milk: love of my life, bringer of joy. This is a key ingredient in any Millionaire’s Shortbread and this recipe is no different! It is the main ingredient in the caramel layer.

• Dark muscovado sugar

Typically, Millionaire’s Shortbread recipes use a more neutral sugar in the filling (think light brown soft sugar, light muscovado or even golden caster sugar), but I’ve used dark muscovado here to really enhance the bitter espresso flavour in the caramel and bring a little more depth and darkness to the dessert overall.

• Golden syrup

A small amount of golden syrup is also added to the caramel filling. I find that this helps to give the caramel a smoother, more velvet-y texture.

• Instant espresso powder

Instant espresso powder is the key to getting a really intense, espresso flavour without adding to much liquid to the caramel filling (and it’s readily available in most supermarkets). It is different to instant coffee granules: a bit richer and stronger, so do make sure you get the right product!

• Dark chocolate

Use a high-quality dark chocolate here for the best results— the flavour will really shine through in the finished dessert! You can go as dark as you fancy: I’ve used a 54% chocolate, because I really love the taste, but a 70% one would make for an even more sophisticated flavour.

• Double cream

We’ll melt the cream together with the chocolate to make a rich ganache. If you’re in the US, use heavy cream.

• Glucose syrup (optional)

To make sure the final layer of ganache stays really shiny, even after it’s been refrigerated, I like to add a very small amount of glucose syrup. I have this on hand for a bunch of other baking purposes, but it is a bit of a speciality ingredient. You can substitute golden syrup for the same effect, but I do find that it adds a slightly more intense sweetness to the ganache layer, so you might want to consider using a darker chocolate to balance it out!

• Sea salt

You’ll need to add a little salt to both the shortbread and the caramel if you’re using unsalted butter, just to help all of the other ingredients really shine. I also like to sprinkle the finished tarts with a little flaky sea salt: it’s a really simple decoration but it looks very elegant (and tastes delicious!). I’ve used Fleur de Sel on these tarts, which is extra delicious, but regular sea salt would also be great. Just be sure to sprinkle the salt on just before you serve the tarts, as it can dissolve slightly if it’s left in the fridge, which doesn’t look quite so pretty.

How to Make Double Chocolate Espresso Millionaire’s Tartlets

These tartlets look complicated, and there are a few different steps you need to work through, but each step is super straightforward! The shortbread crust is SO much easier to work with than a typical pastry (and it’s made entirely in the food processor!), the caramel layer is incredibly forgiving and the ganache is truly just a melt-everything-together situation. Take it step by step and you’ll be absolutely fine!

Making the Chocolate Shortbread Dough

To make the shortbread dough, put all of the dry ingredients (caster sugar, plain flour, and cocoa powder) into a food processor and pulse to combine them. I’m using a mini food processor here, because I was making a smaller batch, but I’d recommend using a standard-sized food processor for the full batch!

This ensures that the cocoa powder is well incorporated and your dough is evenly chocolatey!

Add the cold, diced butter to the dry ingredients.

Then pulse again until a chocolatey dough forms. That’s it!

A couple of tips at this point:

• Make sure your butter is cold and diced.

The cold butter helps to make the shortbread really short (hence the name!) and flaky. Dicing it beforehand means that it will combine more quickly with the rest of the ingredients.

• Don’t be tempted to add water.

Because the butter is cold, the dough will take a bit of pulsing/processing before it comes together. You might start thinking that it’s too dry to form a dough, but it’s not! You don’t need to add any extra liquid/butter, just keep processing it and the dough will form. Trust me!

Pressing the Shortbread into the Tartlet Tins

Unlike pastry, this shortbread can just be pressed into the tartlet tins. No rolling out, no flouring the work surface: just pressing in the dough with your fingers.

Start by lightly greasing each of the tartlet tins with butter. This will help you get the tarts out of the tins later on!

Bring the dough together with your hands, then divide it into 9 equal portions: 1 per tartlet tin. This way, you’ll know exactly how much dough each tartlet requires and you won’t have to worry about over-filling one and under-filling another.

Use your fingers to press one portion of the shortbread into one of the tartlet tins. Aim for an even layer of shortbread across the base and up the sides of the tin, leaving a small amount of overhang at the top edge. This doesn’t need to be perfect, as we’ll smooth everything out later, once the tarts come out of the oven.

Use a rolling pin to roll over the top of each tartlet tin. This will remove the excess shortbread dough and leave a super neat, flat edge on the tartlet shells.

The final step before the tartlet shells can be baked is to prick them all over with a fork. The shortbread will still puff up a little in the oven, but this allows the steam to escape and helps to minimise the puffing, so don’t skip it!

Once all of your tartlet shells are filled with shortbread and ready to go, collect all of the offcuts and bring them together with your hands. These offcuts can be formed into a few little chocolate biscuits, which can be baked alongside the tartlets as chef’s treats. Don’t be tempted to press the offcuts back into the tartlets— you want that extra space for the fillings!

Baking the Shortbread

Arrange the tartlets (and the extra biscuits!) on a baking tray, then bake them in the middle of the oven at 175°C (conventional, not fan) for 12-15 minutes, until the shortbread is puffed and the surface looks dry. If you’re still waiting for your oven to preheat, I’d recommend putting the tartlets into the fridge to keep them nice and cold until you can bake them.

At this point, the shortbread won’t resemble a tart shell. However, while it’s warm, it will be soft enough to manipulate, so you can use a metal dessertspoon/cup measure to gently press down on the base to flatten it back down and against the sides to sharpen them up and make it resemble a tart shell once more. This sounds fiddly, but it’s actually so quick and easy to do (and I would still take it over rolling out pastry!).

Repeat this for all of your tarts, so that you’re left with perfect little cocoa shortbread tartlet shells, ready to be filled! Set them aside to cool slightly while you make the espresso caramel filling.

Making the Espresso Caramel

I know, I know, the word ‘caramel’ can send even the most confident of bakers into a spiral, but I promise, this one’s easy! No sugar thermometers, no convoluted temperature tests, just everything in a pot and a bit of light stirring.

I like to use a saucepan with a pouring spout for this, because it makes it super easy to pour the hot caramel into the tartlet shells when it’s ready. If you have one, I’d definitely recommend it.

Place the butter, condensed milk, dark muscovado sugar and golden syrup into the saucepan and set it over a low heat.

Stir the mixture every now and then until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

While this is happening, dissolve the instant espresso powder in a splash of hot water and set it aside, ready for later.

Once the mixture is smooth, turn the heat up slightly to medium-low and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. The mixture has a tendency to stick, so you need to stir more frequently at this stage to stop it from burning.

Allow the mixture to boil for a couple of minutes, until it’s nice and thick. I realise this is a little vague, but don’t stress about it: a minute or two of boiling and stirring and you’ll be absolutely fine!

Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the dissolved instant espresso powder until it is completely incorporated.

Adding the espresso at this stage ensures that the coffee doesn’t burn while the sugar boils, which would make everything a little too bitter (and much less tasty!).

With that, the caramel layer is ready! Pour it into the tartlet shells, filling each tartlet about 3/4 full (this is to leave space for the ganache layer later).

Set the tartlets aside at room temperature to cool completely (about 30 minutes to an hour) before making the ganache layer.

Making the Ganache

The final layer of the tarts is a simple, dark chocolate ganache, with the addition of a not-so-secret ingredient to make it extra shiny and help it slice really nicely when served. This ingredient is glucose syrup (also known as liquid glucose). If you can’t find glucose syrup, you can use golden syrup instead (though this has a slightly more intense, caramel-y sweetness, so I would recommend using a slightly darker chocolate to balance this out if you do).

You can make the ganache in the microwave or on the hob. I tend to use the microwave, because it’s so easy!

Microwave Method

Finely chop the dark chocolate, then put it into a microwaveable jug with the cream and the glucose syrup.

Heat this in the microwave on the lowest heat setting in 30 second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, shiny ganache.

Hob Method

Finely chop the dark chocolate and place it into a heatproof jug.

Place the cream and glucose syrup into a small saucepan, then set over a medium heat and bring to just below a simmer, stirring frequently to ensure that it does not catch.

Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and leave to sit for a minute.

After a minute, stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, shiny ganache.

Whichever method you use, once the ganache is ready, pour it over the caramel layer on each of the tartlets, filling them right up to the top, so that the ganache is level with the top edge of the shortbread crust. Give the tarts a gentle shake from side to side to smooth out the ganache layer and ensure that it completely covers the caramel layer below.

Transfer the tartlets to the fridge and allow them to chill for at least 2 hours (though they can be stored in the fridge like this for 2-3 days: the espresso flavour will get even more intense the longer they chill!) before serving.

Serving Instructions

When you’re ready to serve the tarts, carefully remove them from their tins. I find the best way to do this is to gently pull the sides of the tin away from the shortbread all the way around to loosen it, then set the tin on a small jar/tin and press down gently on the top edge to release it, making sure to apply any pressure as evenly as possible around the circumference of the tin. Then, hold the tartlet upside down and use a small, sharp knife to pry the base of the tin off the bottom of the tartlet.

Just before serving, sprinkle the tartlets with a little flaky sea salt (I used Fleur de Sel, for extra fanciness!). You can either slice the tartlets into tiny slices (SO CUTE!) or you can serve them whole for extra decadence. If you are slicing them, I recommend using a small, sharp knife and wiping it off in between each cut so that you can see the pretty layers.

Don’t be tempted to sprinkle the tartlets with salt ahead of time, while they’re still in the fridge, because I find that the salt starts dissolving and looks a lot less pretty if you do this.

Recipe

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Double Chocolate Espresso Millionaire’s Tartlets

Inspired by the character of Araminta Gun in Bridgerton: Season 4, these tartlets feature a chocolate shortbread crust, an espresso caramel filling and a shiny, dark chocolate ganache layer, all topped off with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Course Dessert

Keyword Caramel, Chocolate, Espresso, Millionaire’s Shortbread

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 9 tartlets

Equipment

• 9 x 10cm diameter tartlet tins

Ingredients

For the chocolate shortbread:

• 75 g caster sugar
• 225 g plain flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 180 g salted butter, cold and diced, plus extra for greasing (see Note 1).

For the espresso caramel layer:

• 100 g salted butter (see Note 1).
• 1 x 397g can condensed milk
• 100 g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in a splash of hot water.

For the ganache layer:

• 90 g dark chocolate, finely chopped (see Note 2).
• 180 ml double cream
• 1/2 tsp glucose syrup (see Note 3).

To finish:

• Flaky sea salt (I used Fleur de Sel, but any sea salt would work).

Instructions

Make the chocolate shortbread tartlet shells:

• Preheat the oven to 175°C (conventional oven, not fan). Grease 9 tartlet tins lightly with butter and set aside.
• Place all of the shortbread ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a dough forms (this will take a bit of time— just keep processing and it will come together! Don't be tempted to add any water.).
• Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and finish bringing it together with your hands. Divide the dough into 9 equal portions, one for each tartlet tin.
• Press a ball of dough into one of the tartlet tins, aiming to get an even layer of shortbread right across the bottom and up the sides of the tin. Leave a small amount of overhang at the top of the tin, then use a rolling pan to roll over the top of the tin to remove the extra dough and leave a super neat edge. The dough offcuts can be used to make a few little chocolate biscuits that can be baked alongside the tartlets.
• Prick the dough on the base of each tartlet all over with a fork, then bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the surface looks dry (the shortbread will still puff up quite a bit, but that's okay— we'll fix it in the next step!).
• As soon as the tartlet shells come out of the oven, use a dessertspoon/metal cup measure to gently press the shortbread down on the base and around the sides. The shortbread will still be quite soft when it's warm, so you can easily reshape it to make the perfect little tart shells.
• Leave the tarts to one side to cool slightly while you make the caramel layer.

Make the espresso caramel layer:

• Place the butter, condensed milk, dark muscovado sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan (preferably one with a pouring spout, if you have one). Set over low heat and stir every now and then until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
• Turn the heat up slightly to medium-low and allow the mixture to boil, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes, until thick.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the dissolved instant espresso powder until completely incorporated.
• Pour the hot caramel into the tartlet shells, filling each tartlet about 3/4 full (you need to leave room for the ganache layer). Set the tartlets aside at room temperature to cool completely (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Make the ganache layer:

• Once the tartlets are completely cool, make the ganache layer. Place all of the ganache ingredients into a microwaveable jug and heat on the lowest setting in 30 second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, shiny ganache. If you don't have a microwave, bring the cream and glucose syrup to just below a simmer in a saucepan, then pour over the chopped chocolate, leave to stand for a minute, then stir until smooth.
• Pour the ganache onto the cooled tartlets, filling them right up to the top, so that the ganache sits level with the top of the shortbread crust. Give the tarts a gentle shake from side to side to make sure the ganache layer is smooth and completely covers the caramel layer below.
• Transfer the tarts to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. The tarts can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, so you can make them ahead of time (the espresso flavour will also get more intense as they chill).

To serve:

• Carefully remove the tartlets from their tins. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and serve.

Notes

1. You can use unsalted butter instead: use the same amount but add a pinch or two of fine sea salt.
2. I used a 54% dark chocolate, which isn’t super dark, but works really well with the other flavours. If you want a slightly more bitter, intense flavour, use a darker chocolate (a 70% would work well!).
3. Adding a small amount of glucose syrup to the ganache makes it super shiny and helps it slice really nicely. Glucose syrup is a bit of a specialist ingredient though so, if you don’t have it to hand, you can use golden syrup instead. Golden syrup has a slightly more intense, caramel-y flavour and sweetness, so, if you do this, so you might want to consider using a darker chocolate to balance it out.

Enter: my Salted Caramel Ice Cream. A super smooth, creamy & rich ice cream, laced with sweet, salty, toffee-y goodness AND rippled with gooey, chewy, homemade caramel. I mean… please. It’s perfect scooped into a cone or bowl, layered into an ice cream sundae, or, as the days get colder, dolloped on top of warm apple pies and sticky toffee puddings (okay, yep, maybe I am ready for autumn now).

Also, I am yet to master the art of ice cream photography (it melts SO QUICKLY 🙁 I mean… I know that’s kind of the point, but it still feels a bit unnecessary). Anyway, I promise that all the photos are of the exact same batch of ice cream, even though they seem to be completely different colours… I just made the mistake of changing my position while I was taking the photographs. Ah well, you live and learn, I guess?

Let’s just get into it, shall we?

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Making Salted Caramel
• Making the Ice Cream Base
• Churning the Ice Cream & Finishing Touches
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Caster sugar

Sugar is a standard ingredient in any ice cream recipe, but we’ll be using some of it to make a caramel sauce as well. The type of sugar you use makes a difference- caster sugar comes in two varieties: golden and white. In general, when making caramel, it’s best to use white caster sugar, because it gives you more control over the caramelisation process. You won’t be able to heat golden caster sugar for as long before it burns, making the process a little more finicky, but it will have a lovely depth of flavour. For this recipe, I used golden caster sugar and took it off the heat as soon as it had melted, for that dark, nutty flavour, but you can use white caster sugar, if you prefer, and just give it more time to melt and caramelise fully.

• Butter

A rogue ingredient for a typical ice cream base, but a necessity for a caramel sauce! You only need a tiny bit, but it gives the sauce a rich, smooth texture.

• Double cream

Much like the sugar, double cream is a necessity for ice cream, but it’s also a necessity for caramel sauce! The cream takes what would otherwise be a brittle, translucent golden sugar into a silky smooth, opaque caramel sauce. In other words, it’s the best bit.

• Flaky sea salt

I mean, what is salted caramel without salt? For the best flavour, you want to use a good quality flaky sea salt. If you have to use table salt, halve the amount- otherwise it will be way too salty, even for salted caramel!

• Milk

As always, I use half milk, half cream for my ice cream base, which gives it a perfectly smooth, creamy texture. Ideally, you should use a full fat milk, but I almost always use skimmed milk and it works out fine.

• Egg yolks

You only need the yolks for this recipe, so you can either use the egg whites for another recipe (such as my macarons!) or freeze them for another day.

Equipment

• Ice cream maker

To make a custard-based ice cream (like this one!) at home, you need a good ice cream maker. I use this KitchenAid attachment and I love it. It can be a little fiddly to set up, but once you get it going it works really well. Just make sure to pour the ice cream base in with the machine running (it will be a bit messy, but you can easily clean it up after. Otherwise, the ice cream will freeze to the bowl before you have a chance to churn it and you run the risk of damaging the machine). You have to freeze the attachment in advance (overnight!), as is the case for most ice cream makers, so don’t forget to plan ahead. When it comes to churning your ice cream, most machines will come with their own set of specific instructions. Using the KitchenAid attachment, I churn mine for about 20 minutes and it comes out perfectly.

• Fine mesh sieve

This recipe calls for you to strain your ice cream base before thickening it. The reason for this is that, even though you will be whisking constantly as you add the hot cream to the eggs, you can still sometimes get some pesky, unincorporated bits of egg that have cooked slightly from the heat of the cream. Straining the mixture through a (heatproof!) fine mesh sieve removes those pesky eggy bits and leaves you with a super smooth ice cream.

• Electric whisk

I like to use an electric hand whisk when I make ice cream, but you can absolutely use a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. You’ll need some sort of electric whisk though, because the egg yolk/sugar mixture needs to be whisked for a while in order to reach the required ‘ribbon’ stage.

Making Salted Caramel

Confession: for years, I considered caramel to be my baking nemesis. I tried, over and over, and I could never seem to get it right! Eventually, I realised my problem. I was using golden caster sugar!

Caster sugar comes in two main forms: golden and white. Golden caster sugar is unrefined, so, unlike white caster sugar, it retains some of the molasses, giving it a slightly more caramel-y taste and a darker tone. Because of this, golden caster sugar caramelises much more quickly than white caster sugar and, in recipes that are expecting you to use white caster sugar, it may burn before the desired temperature is reached. I find that you can heat it up just enough to melt it, but leaving it on the heat any longer than that will leave you with a bitter, burnt caramel. In general then, for most caramel recipes, you’ll want to use white caster sugar. It will give you much more control over the caramelisation process and most recipes are written with white caster sugar in mind. Having said that, I did make this recipe with golden caster sugar, and it worked! It’s actually quicker than using white caster sugar, because you take it off the heat as soon as it has melted, and it lends the ice cream a lovely, almost nutty, flavour. It does mean you have to keep a closer eye on your caramel though, because you have to make sure the sugar has completely melted, but take it off as soon as it has, so that it doesn’t burn. If you’re using white caster sugar, the sugar will melt and then begin to caramelise, giving you more time/control over the finished colour of the caramel. All this to say, then, that you can use either of the two sugars, but you’ll need to adjust your caramel-making process slightly depending on the sugar you choose.

Once you’ve got your knowledge of sugar differences down, the caramel-making process is actually pretty straightforward. For this recipe, we’ll be starting with a dry caramel (i.e. straight sugar, with no added water).

• Make your dry caramel

Put all of the sugar into a large, heavy-based saucepan (the caramel will bubble up a lot later, so make sure you have plenty of room in the pan). Put the pan over a medium-low heat and allow the sugar to melt. Try not to mix it too much, because that can cause the sugar to crystallise, but you can move it around a little bit, to help it melt evenly.

Once the sugar has melted, don’t stir it! If you need to move the sugar, give the pan a gentle swirl. You want the sugar to reach a nice, deep golden colour- if you’re using golden caster sugar, the caramel will probably reach this stage as soon as it has melted. If you’re using white caster sugar, keep the pan over the heat and allow it to bubble until the desired shade has been reached.

• Remove from the heat and add the butter

Once the sugar has reached a deep, golden shade, take the pan off the heat and add in the butter (it will bubble up a bit here, so watch out for the steam!). Whisk the caramel vigorously to make sure the butter is fully incorporated.

• Return to the heat and add the cream

Place the pan back onto the medium-low heat, and, whisking constantly, add the cream in a slow, steady stream. The caramel will bubble up a lot, so be careful, but just keep whisking until all of the cream has been incorporated. Then, allow the caramel to bubble away over the heat, undisturbed, for a further minute.

• Remove from the heat and add the salt

After 1 minute, remove the caramel from the heat. Add in the flaky sea salt, and stir to distribute it evenly. With that, your caramel is done! Allow it to cool a little in the pan (it will be super hot at this point!), before working with it. For this recipe, you’ll want to transfer 2 tbsp of it at this stage to a heatproof container and place that into the fridge for later. The rest will be used to make the ice cream base.

This recipe makes about 7 tbsp of caramel sauce. After reserving 2 tbsp of it for drizzling later, you’ll be left with 5 tbsp- exactly how much you need for the ice cream base.

Making the Ice Cream Base

Once you have your caramel sauce made, you can get on with making the ice cream base.

• Heat up the cream, milk and remaining caramel sauce

Start by making a hot cream mixture to temper the eggs. Usually, I add straight caster sugar to the cream and milk, but we’ll be substituting that with our caramel sauce in this recipe. Place all the ingredients into a saucepan (it would be helpful to use a pan that has a spout, as we will be pouring from this saucepan later!) and set over a low heat. Stir frequently and allow the mixture to come to just below a boil. Your caramel sauce will inevitably have firmed up a bit before you start, but don’t worry! As the milk/cream mixture heats up, the caramel will melt right down, leaving you with a smooth, golden cream.

• While the cream mixture heats up, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar

While the cream mixture is heating up, you need to whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar, until they are fully combined and have reached the ‘ribbon’ stage. At this point, the mixture should be thick, pale and significantly more voluminous- you should be able to draw a complete figure of 8 with the whisk before the ‘ribbon’ settles back into the rest of the mixture.

• Add the hot milk to the egg mixture

Usually, I prefer to loosen the eggs with a slightly cooler cream mixture before adding the hot liquid. However, because of the caramel in the cream mixture, it’s best to use it while it’s hot. To make sure you don’t accidentally cook the eggs, pour the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. Only stop whisking when all of the cream mixture has been incorporated.

• Strain the ice cream base back into the saucepan

Despite the constant whisking, there will inevitably be a few pesky bits of egg that got a little… cooked when you added the hot cream mixture. By straining the ice cream base as you transfer it back into the saucepan, you can remove any impurities, leaving you with a silky smooth custard base.

• Thicken the custard

Place the saucepan over a medium-low heat and, stirring constantly with a spatula, allow it to thicken (this will take about 8-10 minutes). When it’s ready, it should coat the back of the spatula.

• Place the custard into the fridge to chill

Transfer the thickened custard to a jug and cover the surface directly with clingfilm to prevent the custard from forming a skin. Place the jug into the fridge and allow it to chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight (you want it to be super cold!), before churning it.

Churning the Ice Cream & Finishing Touches

Once your custard base is super cold, you can churn the ice cream, as per your ice cream maker’s instructions. Using the KitchenAid attachment, this usually takes me about 20 minutes, but this will vary based on your machine. When it’s ready, your ice cream will be thick and creamy.

It’s worth reiterating at this stage: you must pour the base into the ice cream maker with the mixer on. Otherwise, the ice cream will freeze onto the bowl of the machine, leaving you with ruined ice cream and potentially damaging your machine. Trust me, been there. Make sure the mixer is running!

While the ice cream is churning, you need to warm up the reserved 2 tbsp of caramel sauce. I do this in the microwave (it took about 1 minute on the lowest setting, with intermittent stirring), but you can do it in a small saucepan over a low heat if you prefer. Just warm it up enough so that it is pourable- don’t let it bubble, or it will affect the finished texture!

Once your ice cream has churned, you need to transfer it to a freezer-proof container, ready for a final freeze. At this point, you can drizzle over the caramel sauce, so that the finished ice cream is rippled with gooey caramel. The caramel will set almost immediately when it hits the frozen ice cream, so try to drizzle it evenly over the surface.

After that, you just need to allow the ice cream to firm up in the freezer for at least 3 hours before you can tuck in an enjoy it! Once frozen, the ice cream will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

I’d love to hear what you think of this ice cream if you give it a try. I love this one- I think it might be my favourite ice cream that I’ve made to date!

Gemma

xxx

Recipe

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Salted Caramel Ice Cream

A homemade ice cream, featuring the perfect combination of sweet (but not too sweet!) & salty- ideal for summer sundaes or served alongside warm winter desserts.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Caramel, Ice cream, Salted caramel

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Freeze + Chill Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours

Servings 8 big scoops

Equipment

• ice cream maker

Ingredients

For the salted caramel sauce:

• 90 g golden caster sugar (see Note 1)
• 35 g unsalted butter
• 60 ml double cream
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

For the ice cream:

• 240 ml double cream
• 300 ml milk
• 50 g caster sugar
• 3 egg yolks

Instructions

• The day before you want to churn your ice cream, place the bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer.

For the salted caramel sauce:

• Put the sugar into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan every now and then, until sugar has just melted and is a deep, golden colour (see Note 1).
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter. Whisk vigorously until butter is melted and fully incorporated, then return to the heat.
• Add cream to the pan in a slow, steady stream, while whisking constantly. Once all cream is incorporated, stop whisking and allow to bubble, undisturbed, for 1 minute.
• Remove caramel sauce from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow caramel to cool slightly, then transfer 2 tbsp of the sauce to a heatproof container, cover and place in the fridge for later. Keep rest to use in ice cream base.

For the ice cream:

• Place the double cream, milk and remaining caramel sauce into a medium saucepan. Place over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel has melted into milk/cream and the whole mixture reaches just below a boil.
• While the cream mixture is heating, place the sugar and egg yolks into a large, heatproof bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat until the mixture is thick, pale and fluffy (the 'ribbon' stage).
• When the cream mixture has reached just below a boil, with the mixer on, add it in a steady stream to the egg mixture. Mix until incorporated, then pour through a heatproof, fine mesh sieve back into the saucepan.
• Return the saucepan to a medium-low heat. Stir the custard with a heatproof spatula as it heats up, until it becomes thick and glossy- about 8-10 minutes. Pour the custard into a heatproof container, cover the surface with clingfilm and allow to cool to room temperature before placing into the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
• When the custard is thoroughly cold, churn it according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Using the KitchenAid attachment, this takes around 15-20 minutes.
• While the ice cream is churning, gently heat the reserved caramel sauce. I did this in the microwave (about 1 minute on the lowest setting), but you can do it in a saucepan if you prefer. Stir the sauce well to ensure it is smooth and evenly melted.
• When your ice cream has finished churning, transfer it to a freezer-proof container. Smooth out the ice cream, then drizzle the warmed caramel sauce evenly over the top. Place into the freezer to firm up for at least 3 hours before consuming. The ice cream will keep in the freezer for 3 months.

Notes

1. The type of caster sugar you use will make a difference! I find that golden caster sugar gives the caramel a lovely, deep flavour, but you have to be more careful with it- it will turn golden much quicker, so take it off the heat and add the butter as soon as all the sugar has melted. If you’re using white caster sugar, you’ll have a little bit more leeway and more control over the colour of your caramel- it will require a bit more time over the heat after it has melted to turn a deep, golden colour.