Try this wonderful ice cream if you enjoy munching on buttery shortbread cookies with a cup of tea. Vanilla bean and Earl Grey tea are used to flavor it. This dessert is simply wonderful because of the addition of the shortbread bits that have been crushed and the chocolate-covered toffee pieces. Before chilling, sift the custard base to remove any stray egg or tea leaf fragments.
Ingredients of the Ice Cream
- 1 lengthwise split vanilla bean pod
- 2 cups heavy cream for whipping
- 1 glass of whole milk
- Earl Grey tea bags, six single-serving bags
- 2/3 cup of split granulated sugar
- 6 big yolks of eggs
- kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 [8-ounce] bag of toffee pieces (such as Bits of Brickle) or 3/4 cup chopped chocolate-
- covered toffee candy bars (from 2 [3-ounce] bars, such as Heath)
- 1 [5.3-ounce] package of pure butter shortbread biscuits, split into 1/4 cup, plus additional cookies for serving
How to Make the Ice Cream
Step 1: Put the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a medium saucepan after scraping the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod with the back of a paring knife. Add the milk, tea bags, cream, and 1/3 cup of sugar after stirring. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. After giving the mixture one stir, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Take out and throw away the tea bags and vanilla bean pods. Revisit the milk mixture at a medium simmer.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. While continuously whisking, add 1 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture gradually and the remaining warm milk mixture in the saucepan with the egg yolk mixture. Cook over medium, whisking continuously, for three to four minutes, or until a custard forms on a spoon and a finger swiped across the back of the spoon leaves a clean line. Get rid of the heat.
Step 3: Prepare a large basin filled with ice water. Using a fine-mesh strainer, pour the custard into an airtight container. Place the container in a big basin filled with cold water, cover, and chill for about four hours, or until the temperature reaches 40°F. As an alternative, cover the container and put it in the fridge for 12 hours.
Step 4: Add the cooled mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze as directed by the manufacturer. Place ice cream in an airtight container and top with 1/2 cup of toffee and 1/2 cup of cookie crumbs. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of toffee and cookie crumbs equally over the ice cream. For roughly four hours, freeze until stiff. Ice cream can be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks when sealed tightly. Serve with extra cookie crumbs.