Mmm Malted Milo Malteser Ice Cream

Ice cream is exquisite.  What a pity it isn't illegal ~ Voltaire.

I got brain freeze walking home tonight.

Yes, an ice cream headache just because it was so darn cold down here in Dunedin and not because I got to eat delicious ice cream.  Talk about jipped.

I gotta say though, despite the freezing temperatures outside, I could still totally do a big bowl of ice cream for dessert.  Just what is it about this classic frozen dessert that makes it so universally loved, so good, so addictive?  The endless flavors and toppings?  Maybe its dreamy smoothness?  Or the way it melts into creamy sweetness in your mouth?  Whatever it is, there's one thing that's for sure: ice cream equals happiness.

{via icanread}

Getting that pseudo ice cream headache just made me long for this Malted Milo Malteaser Ice Cream I made a wee while back.  It's a glorious malt bonanza.  Chocolate malt powder, malted milk power AND chocolate coated malt balls.  Coz let's face it, everything tastes better as ice cream.

As delicious as it is, malt is a rather hard taste to define precisely.  Made of malted barley, it's often used to describe notes in beer of all things.  To me, it's kind of a warm smokey salted caramel flavour.  Absolutely delicious.  Amazing as the airy crunchy insides of Maltesers and Whoppers.  Classic in a thick creamy milkshake.  Or all scrummy and comforting as a chocolate malted milk drink like Milo or Horlicks.

{can't beat a milo milkshake}

I love the stuff.  Without fail, I always get a big bag of Malteasers at the movies and boy do not get in between me and my packet of Malteasers.  It's not a pretty sight.  And when it comes to Milo, I go through truckloads of it.  Brown gold.  It's better when you HEAP it in you see.  Especially with a tall glass of cold milk.  Or as a mug of hot milky Milo just before bed on a cold winter's night.  Heck, I eat Milo straight of the tin with a spoon.  

So it was a no brainer really incorporating marvelous malt in an ice cream.

{these are two of my favourite things}

The result is gorgeous.  Like a malt milkshake but frozen.  The Malteasers end up kinda melting a little into the ice cream so topping it with some freshly chopped Malteasers makes it crunchy and crazy good.

To be honest, one can never have too many Malteasers with ice cream.

Malted Milo Malteser Ice Cream

3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup (150g) caster sugar (I found it a tiny bit on the sweet side for me - will try with a little less next time)
1/8-1/4 tsp salt to taste

2 cups (500ml) double cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup malted milk powder (Horlicks)
3 Tablespoon Milo

6 large egg yolks

2 cups (~280g) Chocolate coated malt balls e.g. Malteasers or Whoppers, chopped roughly

1. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks till pale and fluffy.  In a separate large bowl (stainless steel or pyrex) pour 2 cups of cream, whisk in vanilla, malted milk powder and Milo and chill in the fridge.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, gently heat 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup cream, sugar and salt until lukewarm (just warm to touch).  Ladle the warmed milk into the beaten egg yolks a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.


3. Rinse out the saucepan and put the kettle on and boil a jug of water.  Fill the saucepan with the boiling water and put back on the stove over a low-medium heat.  Place the bowl of eggy creamy custard over the saucepan (making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water) and heat gently over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly (make sure you scrap the bottom!) until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a spatula.  You can test if it's done by running your finger across the back of the spatula.  It's done when it leaves a clear line.  


4. Pour the custard into the chilled bowl of cream with milk powder you set aside earlier and stir over a basin of ice cold water too cool it down as quickly as possible.  Allow to chill down completely in the fridge.


5. When the custard is completely cool, pour into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. (** If you don't have an ice cream maker, place the custard in a large flat freezer proof container and freeze for around 45 minutes until the sides become icy, then beat vigorously to break up all the frozen bits. Use a stick blender if you have one - it works really well! Place the semi frozen custard back into the freezer and freezer for 30 minutes then take out and beat again. Repeat the process until you get a smooth ice cream. Should take around 2-3 hours).


6.  Just before the ice cream is done, add the chopped the malteasers and allow to mix through.  Store the ice cream in a freezer proof air tight container.  Serve with extra chopped Malteasers for extra maltiness.