If your house is anything like ours, you are up to ears in Halloween candy. We saw our first snowflakes of the season on Halloween. While we were out trick or treating it was 40 degrees with high winds. We noticed significantly less trick or treaters out this year and people were unloading candy to my kids by the fist full. How could you not want to give candy to our dragon and mermaid? They were too cute in their costumes!
This has left us with bags of Halloween candy. I have no self-control especially with chocolate. I want to eat all the candy! To keep myself from devouring it all, I’m always on the lookout for candy filled recipes. One of my favorites is Candy Bar Ice Cream.
While I realize that November may not make you think of ice cream, this recipe may just change your mind. I keep ice cream in the freezer year round because it’s my most favorite sweet treat. And I love ice cream that is full of treats. No plain vanilla for me! I prefer Ben and Jerry’s with all sorts of interesting ingredients.
Candy Bar Ice Cream is easy to adapt because you can just use whatever type of candy that you have on hand. I prefer a mix of Twix, Reese’s, Kit Kats and Butterfingers but any chocolate covered candy will suffice. I use my favorite vanilla ice cream base then add the chopped candy in the last couple of minutes of churning. Feel free to adapt this recipe to use your favorite vanilla ice cream recipe. It’s a crowd pleaser every time.
ingredients
2 ½ cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 cups chopped candy bars (Reese's, Butterfinger, KitKat, Twix, etc)
instructions
- Heat milk in a heavy based saucepan. Stir often until very hot but make sure not to scorch milk. Transfer to a measuring cup with a pour spout and set aside.
- Place egg yolks and sugar into bowl and mix on medium speed for 1 minute or until a thick paste has formed and sugar has completely dissolved. Gradually add hot milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture back to saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook for about 8-10 minutes over a very low heat until mixture thickens and lightly coats back of wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Again, make sure not to let the mixture boil. The consistency will be like custard when the mixture is ready.
- Return mixture to mixing bowl. Add cream and mix on low until thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 6-8 hours.
- Once chilled, pour ice cream base into ice cream maker and follow your machines directions. Add candy pieces in the last 2-3 minutes of churning or fold into the ice cream base before freezing.
- If you can resist eating all the ice cream immediately, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours.