I almost peed my pants in excitement when I saw that Whitney of What's Left on the Table (click for recipe) chose Caramel Crunch Bars pick this week.
This is my
kind of snack. I love anything with
toffee and chocolate. Or caramel and chocolate. Or peanut butter and chocolate.
Or chocolate and chocolate.
You catch my drift.
The best part was that I was able to combine this with ice cream. I would eat ice cream 12 times a day if my body could withstand it. I rarely ever indulge full-fat ice cream, though. I usually will eat frozen yogurt. My favorite? Tasti-d-lite. When I lived in Manhattan, I would eat a small, 4 oz serving of Tasti D Lite every single day. None of this PinkBerry tart yogurt crap. I like my frozen yogurt to taste like Ice cream! Not yogurt! It was only 10 calories an ounce (at the time. It is now 20 calories an ounce. Watch it, Tasti! My hips don't lie!). Soft, rich and creamy, there are over 100 flavors, but only 4-6 selected flavors a day, where two of them are always chocolate and vanilla. Whenever I go home, I go out of my way to get Tasti-D-Lite. I plan my trips around the store's operating hours. I do my research as to what store was serving which flavors. It’s borderline pathetic. Ok, it’s full-out pathetic. But it’s 20 calorie an ounce frozen yogurt that tastes better than the real thing!!! I dream about the day that I move back to NYC (only 6 more months!) and am once again reunited with my one true love, Tasti-d-Lite (sorry, boyfriend).
I wanted to make my own version of a creamy, rich, luxurious ice cream to go with these caramel crunch bars. I came upon this recipe by David Lebovitz. Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream. Hmmm. Salted butter? 1 cup of heavy cream? 4 egg yolks? 20 calorie and ounce yogurt this is not. Did that stop me from making it/eating it?
No. You want to know why? Because after making it,
my head almost exploded in my brain. That’s how good it is. That my head can
actually go inside my brain and explode. Amazingly
creamy. Luxe. Salty and sweet. And the best part is that after two days in my
freezer, it is not hard as a rock. It is still as creamy as the first day.
Which is dangerous, because I was only going to allow myself to eat it on
Saturday, but I hear a small voice beckoning me from my freezer.
Eat me. Eaaaaaat me. In a cone. In a dish. You can’t resist my silky goodness!
But this post is not about the ice cream (it totally is). This post is about these caramel crunch bars (ice cream). My thoughts? They were pretty good. Not mind blowing like I was hoping. But very good. The coffee flavor in the shortbread base was a nice, subtle addition. It had a great crunch to it. And as an ice cream sandwich?
Well, you
could have a sock sandwich and still have it taste good if there is ice cream
as the filling.
Click here for Dave Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream.
And click here for more TWD shortbread!
Oh, that last picture is almost more than I can stand. **SIGH** Heavenly!!!
Posted by: Margaret | February 24, 2009 at 06:10 PM
Over the Top this week, absolutely over the top...both the bars and the ice cream. Loved your post...fun to hear that you have a weakness...or two, or three! NYC in 6 months...so jealous. Great job, great post!
Posted by: Kayte | February 24, 2009 at 06:22 PM
Your ice cream looks so good, these really are perfect for eating in sundae form.
Posted by: Sara | February 24, 2009 at 06:29 PM
See, now you're making me sad. Because I was just in New York City, and I had Pink Berry. And I loved it. But then I was walking down the road and I saw Tasti-D-Lite and I had heard good things, but it wasn't in my budget to have budget twice that day. Man! Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds! :p
Anyway, I agree, this recipe was amazing. Head-brain-explosion amazing.
Posted by: Kaitlin | February 24, 2009 at 08:15 PM
I mean, it wasn't in my budget to have *frozen yogurt* twice that day.
Posted by: Kaitlin | February 24, 2009 at 08:16 PM
Holy crap that looks good.
Posted by: Sugar B | February 24, 2009 at 08:17 PM
I do love David Lebovitz and have yet to post about his Perfect Scoop recipes.
Brain explosions... I can almost see the television broadcast as you are removed from your home unconscious, dribbles of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream dripping from the corner of your mouth: "Tonight at six. Brain explosion. Terrorist plot or sheer and utter hedonism?" Then of course, the interviews with the neighbors: "She was such a sweet and quiet girl. Who could have known?"
Posted by: Matt | February 24, 2009 at 09:10 PM
Oh my gosh you totally crack me up! I am always peeing my pants...er..I mean...I was excited about this recipe too!
I love to read your posts
Posted by: Anjeanette | February 24, 2009 at 10:30 PM
I think everyone gained 10 pounds just looking at your first photo. WOW - that is one mega-caloric ice cream bar! It's worth it though - aren't these just the best bars? Not too "toffee-ish" tasting - definitely out-of-this-world.
Posted by: mike | February 24, 2009 at 11:37 PM
i'm with you--that ice cream is *clearly* the star of the show! salted caramel? mmmmmmmm!
oh, the cookies look good too :) heehee!
Posted by: HappyTummy | February 25, 2009 at 06:21 AM
Crunch bars, schmunch bars. I am making that ice cream. I accidentally bought myself an ice cream maker right before Christmas (it can happen!) and I haven't taken that baby for a test drive yet. I am going to christen it with this ice cream.
Posted by: Cathy | February 25, 2009 at 10:59 AM
That salted butter caramel ice cream is incredible. I'd never made it before, and there's a point in the cooking where the whole custard just seizes up and looks like it's going to be ruined, but it comes back together and the final product is AMAZING. I can hardly comment on the bars because they were so completely covered in ice cream!
Posted by: Amy | February 25, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Ooh, that ice cream sounds fantastic. I'm bookmarking the recipe right now. And it looks great with your crunch bars. Mmm....
Posted by: Di | February 25, 2009 at 02:23 PM
Oh my! That ice cream looks incredibly delicious. The bars look good, too of course. Nice job!
Posted by: pamela | February 25, 2009 at 08:41 PM
I can't imagine a better match for these cookies than Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream!
Posted by: Carol Peterman | February 25, 2009 at 09:54 PM
that Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream is my favrite recipe! possibly ever.
Posted by: Spike | February 25, 2009 at 10:41 PM
I am with you, Teanna. I love chocolate with anything and everything. I have never tried Tasti-D-Lite, but it sounds amazing. Wonderfully done. I really enjoy reading your posts.
Posted by: carolina | February 25, 2009 at 11:31 PM
oh man... just the name of that ice cream is ridiculously droolworthy!! you know, i've lived in nyc for 6 years now and have never tried tasti-d-lite. i think i knew it would be too addictive if i ever started eating it ;)
Posted by: kim | February 26, 2009 at 10:51 AM
The bars with ice cream is definitely the way to go. And such an ice cream you are recommending!! Wow! Great photos!
Posted by: Shari | February 26, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Oh, yes, I've made that ice cream, it is so fabulous! I'm sure it would have helped my poor little bars if I had made some to go along. Wish I'd thought of it. :)
Posted by: LyB | February 27, 2009 at 10:24 PM