Cinnamon Ice Cream with Grape Ripple and Caramelized Oats
Author: 
 
Serves 6-8 people.
Ingredients
For the grape ripple:
  • 400g (or 13½ ounces) blue grapes
  • 35g (or 3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
For the ice cream:
  • 360ml (or 1½ cup) whole milk
  • 360ml (1½ cup) whipping cream
  • 150g (or ¾ cup) sugar
  • big pinch of salt
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the caramelized oats:
  • 60g (or 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) unsalted butter
  • 100g (or ½ cup, loosely packed) brown sugar
  • generous pinch of salt
  • 80gr (or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) rolled oats
Instructions
Start with the grape syrup:
  1. Wash and stem the grapes and add them to a large pan. Mix in the sugar with a wooden spoon. If your grapes were dry before you added them to the pan, add 2 tbsp of water. If your grapes were still wet from washing, don't add any more water.
  2. Over medium-high heat, heat the mixture, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, crank up the heat and bring the grapes to a boil. Cook the grapes for 5 minutes (without a lid) or until the fruit has softened. Skim off the scum with a slotted spoon.
  3. Once the fruit has softened, pass them through a food mill and discard the seeds and skins that are left behind. Pass the grape puree through a strainer to get rid of any small seeds, then pour it back into the pan and bring it to a boil. Leave to cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Set aside and leave to cool to room temperature.
Once the syrup is cooling, make the ice cream mixture:
  1. In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk, 120ml of the whipping cream, 100g of sugar and the salt. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar with a little splash of the milk mixture. Pour the remaining cream in a medium-sized bowl and set a strainer over the top. Scald the rest of the milk mixture, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. While whisking continuously, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Once all the liquid has been added, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Gently heat the mixture over low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon.
  3. NOTE: To test whether the crème anglaise is done, dip a spoon in the mixture and run your finger through the custard down the back of the spoon. If the path you've just created with your finger holds its shape, the custard is done. If you are unsure about this step, you can use a sugar thermometer. The crème anglaise should be done once the mixture reaches a temperature of 80°C (175°F).
  4. Take the crème anglaise of the heat and pour it through the sieve into the prepared bowl. Add the cinnamon and mix everything together with a whisk or rubber spatula. Leave the custard to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
For the caramelized oats:
  1. Preheat your oven to 160°C or 325°F (standard oven setting). In a small saucepan, combine the butter with the sugar and salt. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Take the pan off the heat, add stir in the oats.
  2. Spread the oats onto a cookie sheet lined with baking parchment and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the oats a good stir with a fork, rotate the baking sheet to ensure even baking and leave the oats to bake for 8 more minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool completely.
To assemble:
  1. Start assembling as soon as the ice cream has churned (or, if you are freezing without a machine, has frozen). In a small bowl, stir together the freshly churned ice cream and half the oats. Store the remaining oats in an airtight container until serving. Add half the ice cream mixture to a freeze-proof container and top with half the grape syrup. Add the remaining ice cream, top with the remaining syrup and use a knife to marble the ice cream and grape syrup. Cover the container with a lid and freeze for at least four hours or until ready to serve.
  2. Twenty minutes before serving, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to soften in the fridge or on the countertop. Top with the remaining caramelized oats.
Notes
Alternatively, the mixture can be frozen in a freeze-proof container in the freezer. Make sure to give the mixture a vigorous stir with a fork every half hour until the mixture has frozen (this probably takes three hours in total). Although this method will leave you with very tasty sorbet, it will be less smooth than sorbet churned in an ice cream maker.
Recipe by The Tough Cookie at https://thetoughcookie.com/2013/10/10/cinnamon-ice-cream-with-grape-ripple-and-caramelized-oats/