Cast Iron

Caramelized Pear Ice Cream

September 15, 2011
4
6 Ratings
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

This is a really smooth, very fruity ice cream. The original recipe is to be found in David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop". I gave it my own slight twinges.
By the way, the book is a great inspiration for any ice cream lover!

The taste: if you know it's caramelized, then you can taste it subtly.
If you don't know, you couldn't really put your finger on the slight other taste.
I was fascinated that this ice cream REALLY tastes like a soft, ripe pear. You know the kind that already has some soft spots and that you bite into and you drool and dribble because it's so juicy? Yeah, that's the stuff!
I think the cooking and caramelizing of the pears brings out the flavor and makes it so smooth.

Why did I make this ice cream? Well, no. 1., it's the perfect start into the new autumn season. No. 2., I love pears. No.3., they were on sale in my local supermarket. Hihi. I can't resist a good deal!

If you prefer another fruit (as long as it has enough of it's own fruit juice!) you may substitute it. You may also submit goat's milk for regular milk to give it a unique taste! —marie-poirier

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Ingredients
  • 2 small ripe pears
  • 3.5 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch coarse sea salt
  • few drops of lemon juice
  • 200 milliliters heavy cream
  • 50 milliliters full-fat milk
Directions
  1. Peel pears, de-core them and dice them into small cubes.
  2. In a cast-iron pan (or another solid pan) heat sugar.
  3. Wait for it liquefy, stirring not at first, only when you see patches of liquid sugar. Stir until smooth and amber colored. This should just take a few minutes.
  4. Add the pears. The caramel will seize up and solidify, but keep on stirring and boiling the mixture. Try to dissolve and clumps. this will take around 10 minutes.
  5. Then remove from heat, add milk, lemon juice and salt.
  6. Stir in the cream.
  7. Blend in food processor, until smooth.
  8. Chill, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to your manufacturer's instructions.
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8 Reviews

Rose January 13, 2019
This wasn’t at all like the description. “REALLY tastes like a soft, ripe pear”. It tasted kind of bitter, like medicine, with the slightest hints of pear and it was sickly sweet. I had to add twice the amount of milk to make it edible. I probably burnt the caramel (mistake on my part) but I don’t understand how to NOT burn it if you cook it for 10 minutes. I only did 5 minutes and it still burned. I don’t recommend this recipe.
Rose January 14, 2019
...And I realized that this blog post is almost a decade old. Oops.
Lindsay A. September 24, 2023
lol I just found it here in 2023.. I also wonder about this recipe. Pears have a lot of water in them seems like it would be icy?
drbabs September 15, 2011
love!
Bevi September 15, 2011
This is so nice! I am due for making ice cream this weekend.
ChefJune September 15, 2011
I just know this is divine!
marie-poirier September 15, 2011
Thank you, and yes, it can be doubled! I just make smaller amounts because it's just my bf and I ;)
wssmom September 15, 2011
Looks lovely! Can it be doubled?