Toffee Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Combine the heavy cream, whole milk, 3/4 cup sugar, fine sea salt, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it reaches about 170°F (77°C) and small bubbles form around the edges, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually pour about half of the warm vanilla milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.
3. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 175°F (79°C). Do not boil.
4. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod. Stir in the heavy cream.
5. Cover and chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until thoroughly cold.
6. To make the toffee, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, unsalted butter, and 1/2 tsp salt over medium heat. Stir constantly as the mixture melts, then cook without stirring until it turns a deep amber color, about 5-7 minutes.
7. Quickly pour the hot toffee onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading thin and even. Let it cool completely until hardened, about 30 minutes.
8. Break the toffee into small pieces or shards.
9. Reserve 1 cup of the broken toffee pieces to fold into the ice cream.
10. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 20-25 minutes.
11. In the last 5 minutes of churning, add the reserved toffee chunks to combine evenly in the ice cream.
12. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.