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A top-down view of a bowl of Brown Bread Ice Cream with one ball scooped.
Print Recipe
Brown Bread Ice Cream
Prep Time
40 mins
Chill for
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 40 mins
 

Brown Bread Ice Cream—make it with or without a machine! Creamy, crunchy, and spiked with Irish whiskey, this decadent treat is a must-try.

Servings: 2 pints
Author: Gemma Stafford
Ingredients
Ice-cream Custard Base
  • 2 cups (16 fl oz/ 480 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) whole milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ⅔ cup (5 oz/142g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon O’Driscolls Whiskey
Brown Bread Crumbles
  • 1 ⅓ cups (3 ½ oz/100g) crumbled brown bread
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (¾ oz/22 g) butter, melted
  • 3 ½ tablespoons (1 ½ oz/43 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the ice cream custard:

  1. Freeze the drum of your ice-cream maker for a minimum of 24 hours if using

  2. In a medium pot, bring the cream, milk and salt to a simmer over medium heat. 

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and sugar until combined, about 20 seconds.

  4. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

  5. Remove from the heat and add the whiskey.

  6. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight for better flavor.

To make the brown bread crumbs

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and set aside a small baking sheet.

  2. In a small bowl, crumble the brown bread into small, bite-sized bits. The largest should be no bigger than a kernel of corn.

  3. To the bowl add the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

  4. Spread on the baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times during baking, until the bread bits are well-toasted; a deep, dark brown.

  5. Cool completely then store in an air-tight container until ready to use. (They can be made 3 days in advance and stored at room temperature.)

Churning the Brown Bread Ice-cream

  1. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the consistency of soft serve ice-cream, quickly fold in the brown bread crumbs reserving 2 tablespoons to scatter over the top of the ice cream.

  2. Scoop into a freezer safe container, scatter over remaining crumbles and store in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving. Keep ice cream in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Serve with Whiskey Caramel Sauce if desired.

Recipe Notes
  • For crumbles and sauce: Use my Mum's Brown Bread recipe to make the crumbles and serve the ice cream with my Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce.
  • Do it ahead: Make the custard up to two days in advance—the flavor gets better as it sits. In a restaurant I worked in they aged ice cream bases, just like you can do with bread and cookie dough. The liquid evaporates as it sits, and that intensifies the flavor.
  • Get the most flavor: Use full-fat milk and cream for more flavor in your custard.
  • Whiskey tips: Don’t be shy with the salt and whiskey. If you want to make this without whiskey, add a splash of vanilla extract instead.
  • Imporant freeezing note: Whiskey (or vanilla), is not just for flavor. It also lowers the freezing point, making the ice cream scoopable.
  • Make it smooth: Strain the custard mixture for the silkiest results.
  • Split fix: If your custard splits use a liquidizer (blender or immersion blender) to easily bring it back together.
  • Cold is key: Cold bases freezers faster. Make sure the drum is frozen for at least 24 hours. The more time the better.
  • Don't over-churn: Spin until you have a soft-serve consistency. If you churn too long, the ice cream freezed harder.
  • Timing tip: I like to churn the ice cream, and then give it about four to five hours before eating.