This smoked caramel pineapple ice cream is the perfect dessert for a grilled meal. How often can you say you used your grill to make ice cream? This time you can! Smoke the cream and you can even cook your pineapples on the grill. Since it's no-churn, it'll be ready for the freezer in no time!
For the Dulce de Leche (and make your own--the store-bought kind isn't nearly as good as homemade)
1 14ozcan sweetened condensed milk
For the Pineapple
1poundof fresh pineapple pieces
2ozgranulated gold or regular granulated sugar
pinch of salt
For the Ice Cream
1 ½cupsheavy cream
1 14ozcan homemade dulce de leche
1cupwhole milk
2teaspoonsvanilla
1/4-1/2teaspoonkosher salt
all the pineapple, minced finely
Instructions
For the Dulce de Leche
Place the can of sweetened condensed milk in a pan deep enough to allow water to cover it by at least an inch.
Bring to a boil and then keep at a low boil for 3 hours, adding additional water if needed. If you keep the pan partially covered, there won't be a lot of evaporation, but check it at least once an hour.
Let the can cool in the water for about 45 minutes, and then remove it. Dont' open the can until it has cooled to just barely warm.
For the pineapple
Place the pineapple pieces and sugar in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer slowly, stirring frequently, until the pineapple juices have mostly evaporated and the sugar has turned a golden caramel color, about 10 minutes.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then mince the pineapple fairly finely. Refrigerate until needed.
For the Smoked Ice Cream
Place 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream in a grill-safe skillet. Grill over indirect heat with hardwood charcoal for 15-30 minutes, depending on how much smoke flavor you like. Make sure you cover your grill! Measure the cream again to make sure you still have 1 1/2 cups. If a bit has evaporated, add in enough heavy cream to compensate. Chill until cold.
Carefully whisk the whole milk into the dulce de leche. You may have to warm it slightly in the microwave to help it come together since the dulce de leche will be very thick. Cool and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Whip the chilled smoked cream, salt and vanilla together until it reaches medium peaks.
With the mixer on low, stream in the thinned out dulce de leche until you have added it all. Scrape the bowl to make sure you get all of it.
Whip in the dulce de leche. Your ice cream base will thin out some, but it's okay--there will be plenty of air in it to keep it creamy in the freezer.
Fold in the pineapple so it is evenly distributed and place in a freezer-safe container.
Only if your ice cream base is too thin to suspend the pineapple: freeze for 45 minutes and then stir, scraping the frozen ice cream from the sides and making sure it's all evenly distributed. Freeze another 45 minutes and repeat the scraping and stirring. By this time, your ice cream should be frozen enough that the pineapple will be suspended rather than sinking to the bottom. Use your judgement and then continue with the instructions.
If your base is thick enough to suspend the fruit, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream and chill until firm, at least 8 hours.