Last Fall, Chelsea posted her recipe for Cajeta– a sinfully delicious Mexican caramel.
I usually shy away from making my own caramel since it involves things like candy thermometers, scalding hot sugar and a fair to moderate probability that I will burn at least some part of my body. According to my husband, Colin, I am a “reckless, reckless creature” in the kitchen.
Hey, man. I’m just passionate. Even the best cooks slice/burn themselves sometimes.
(To be fair, I did give myself a rather sizeable second degree burn on my arm courtesy of a searing hot pizza stone… the night before my wedding. So, he’s not wrong per se…)
My point here is that cajeta is not your typical caramel. Firstly, it’s super easy. Second, it’s pretty foolproof. Case in point, I have never burned myself nor the caramel while making her recipe. 😉
Finally, it’s not your typical caramel because it’s beautifully rich and touched with vanilla and cinnamon. It’s like snickerdoodle caramel. YUM.
Alas, I don’t really want to be eating hot caramel during these summer months, soooo… cajeta ice cream! No churn, obviously, since I don’t have an ice cream maker.
This recipe is simple, to say the least. If you’re really low key, you can certainly skip the popcorn garnish. I love it because it’s such a great compliment to the ice cream, a juxtaposition or sweet and salty, hot and cold, creamy and crunchy. Gorgeous.
| Cajeta Ice Cream with Salted Churro Popcorn | Print |
- Cajeta:
- 4 cups goat's milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
- ½ tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
- .
- Ice Cream:
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ~ 1½ cups cajeta (1 batch, as above)
- .
- Salted Churro Popcorn (optional):
- 1 Tbsp popcorn kernels
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod. Bring to a low simmer, stirring often to avoid the milk from bubbling over.
- Once the mixture has come to a low boil and the sugar has dissolved, remove pot from heat. Stir in baking soda; it will become frothy and rise, but just keep stirring.
- Return the pot to the stove and continue to gently simmer on low, stirring often and scraping the sides and bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula to prevent it from sticking. Keep an eye on the milk to prevent it from boiling over. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours until the milk has thickened and caramelized into a dark golden brown colour. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean pod and let cool.*
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl or using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold one third of the cajeta into the cream until just combined. Gently fold the cream mixture into the remaining cajeta and pour into the lined loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, roughly 6 hours.
- Pop the popcorn kernels according to your preferred method. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Toss popped popcorn with melted butter to coat and then toss with cinnamon mixture. Serve ice cream sprinkled with freshly made popcorn.
I’ve never heard of ice cream and popcorn together, but I love both so I’m definitely intrigued! Yum!
Unusual but somehow- it works! Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy 😀 Enjoy, Melissa!