french chocolate ice cream sundaes with bacon brittle sprinkles
At Christmastime, we learned that my wee French niece, Turnip, does not like vanilla ice cream. We learned this when we made the bigass mistake of giving Turnip a vanilla ice cream sundae. She gave us the Dead Eyes in return. Dead Eyes shouldn’t be confused with my sister’s signature move: Dead Monkey. In this masterful display, my sister lays upon the floor, body twisted and contorted, nostrils flared, with eyes wide open. She lays there, perfectly still, until someone stumbles upon her Dead Monkey body and squeals with delight.
When Turnip doesn’t like something, she stares through you. Her face becomes expressionless. She is unwavering, unflinching. Her eyes burn holes through your pathetic vanilla offering with the heat of million white hot stars. The Dead Eyes make you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole.
So, to mark Turnip’s 4th birthday (today), I made some ice cream that will surely please her. For a considerable portion of her life’s work has been devoted to the pursuit of frozen, chocolatey treats – she’s an ice cream savant. I’m also offering up some bacon brittle sprinkles, as they show a concerted effort to make up for the vanilla sundae incident.
I don’t know that this ice cream is actually French, but I made it for a French kid, so whatever. It is chocolatey, rich and thick on the tongue. Very decadent, and perfect for the sort of child that likes to wear chocolate all over her face. The bacon brittle sprinkles? Well, you could argue that I haven’t made a traditional brittle as there isn’t any butter or baking soda in there, but there is bacon, which is better. Bacon brittle sprinkles will add a wonderful toffee flavoured crunch to your ice cream. Also, the phrase bacon brittle sprinkles makes you sound really cool, and a little bit of sticky-sweet crunch never hurt nobody. Crush that brittle all up nice and fine and then use it to coat your ice cream. I’d use a nice, salty bacon for this little ditty.
I’ve included the recipes for easy homemade chocolate sauce (should you feel inclined to make your own), French chocolate ice cream, and the bacon brittle sprinkles. I highly recommend giving your ice cream a generous coating of brittle sprinkles – the toffee/chocolate combination can’t be beat, and the crunch really is delightful. I bought some little waffle bowls for constructing the sundaes with the following layering technique:
- ice cream
- crapload of bacon brittle sprinkles
- chocolate sauce
- whipped cream
- chocolate sauce
- bacon brittle sprinkles
- cherry
I think Turnip would approve.
Happy birthday, my wee Frenchie!
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French Chocolate Ice Cream
Yields about 1 quart.
- 2 cups light cream (5% milk fat)*
- 1 cup heavy cream (35% milk fat)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* I’m sure you could use whole/homogenized milk should you desire
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. Be sure that the bowl of your ice cream maker has been frozen. This recipe requires two stages of chilling – allow time for this.
Place the light and heavy creams in a medium sized saucepan, and cook over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk in the cocoa, and then the unsweetened chocolate, until well combined, smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until well combined and slightly lighter in colour. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well to combine.
Temper the eggs by using a ladle to drizzle some of the hot chocolate liquid into the yolks while whisking constantly, until about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture has been added. (Constant whisking is very important to ensure the eggs don’t cook/scramble.) Slowly pour the egg mixture into the remaining hot chocolate mixture in the pot, again whisking constantly.
Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon – this will take several minutes. When you draw your finger across the back of the spoon it should part the coating (which shouldn’t run back on itself). Don’t allow to boil.
Pour the mixture into a bowl/container, and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until completely cool, and then cover tightly. Chill for at least four hours. Whisk thoroughly and pour into an ice cream maker and process as per manufacturer’s instructions (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a freezer-safe container (covered), and freeze (allowing the ice cream to harden).
Easy Homemade Chocolate Sauce
Yields about 3 cups.
- 13 ounces evaporated milk*
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
* I use a 370 ml can, as that is what is commonly sold here in Canada. That’s just under 13 ounces, but still works out perfectly.
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients.
In a medium sized saucepan, bring evaporated milk and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Once boiling, continue to boil for one minute and then reduce heat to low. Add the chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Whisk in the butter, vanilla and salt. When smooth, remove from heat. Allow to cool, whisking well every so often. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve immediately (while still warm) or cool completely and store in a mason jar in the refrigerator. Sauce stored in refrigerator can be re-heated in a saucepan over low heat (or slowly and gently in the microwave) before serving. This will make the sauce easier to pour/ladle.
Bacon Brittle Sprinkles
Yields about 1 cup of sprinkles.
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. You will need a candy thermometer, plastic bag and hammer to break up the brittle. Be careful when making this treat – you are dealing with very hot sugar.
Grease a small baking sheet – baking spray works well – and set aside. A baking sheet with a lip is preferable to prevent spillage.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain well, and then crumble the bacon into very small pieces. Set aside.
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stirring to combine (it won’t completely dissolve – don’t worry, the heat will take care of that). Cook over medium-high heat, until the sugar has dissolved (about three minutes), and the mixture begins to boil. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir), until the mixture is golden/light amber, and registers 310°F on a candy thermometer (about 10+ minutes).
Immediately remove from the heat and carefully stir in the crumbled bacon and salt. Immediately pour the mixture onto the centre of the prepared baking sheet. The mixture should be spread thin. Work quickly, as the brittle will begin to stiffen almost immediately. I use a heatproof spatula to help distribute the bacon bits if necessary, but don’t fuss as the brittle is going to be broken into tiny pieces.
Let sit at room temperature (on a cooling rack) until hardened and cool – about 20-30 minutes. Peel the brittle off the baking sheet, break into small pieces and then place in a plastic bag. Use a hammer to break the brittle into teeny-tiny pieces.
This is a wonderful addition to a sundae bar, and is lovely sprinkled over ice cream. It can be made several hours ahead – store at room temperature in an airtight container. Remember, there’s bacon in there, so these sprinkles are best consumed on the same day they are prepared.
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Never had bacon before with ice cream, when I think about it’s probably very good, you have your sweet and salty. Looks delicious!
Bacon goes with everything.
{Right?}
Ohhh, I want to make bacon brittle sprinkles, now! I bet those would work well over a lot of things besides ice cream, too. Mmm….
And imagine using maple bacon. Or smoked applewood! Oh, the delights!
I was looking forward to more bad seafood puns, but I guess that was just fishful thinking.
I trout that you’ll be okay. Though puns are fintastic!
I saw these on Instagram and cried because they weren’t mine :”(( So much awesomeness going on here!
I’m sitting here practicing Turnip’s ‘look’ because I don’t have any ice cream at all – of any flavour. Don’t get me started on no sprinkles, bacon or otherwise. How could I have let this happen?
I shall make Turnip’s French Chocolate Ice Cream today WITH bacon sprinkles. Amen.
Lawd have mercy. There is do much gloriousness here, it’s almost too much. Oh, who am I kidding?! There’s no such thing as too much when you’re talking French chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and amazing bits if heavenly bacon brittle. Bacon brittle. I had to repeat those words because they’re so magical. I love the cone bowls too! Happy birthday to Turnip!
What I liked best about this is the cute ice cream cups — and the audacity of making candied bacon for sprinkles — will you stop at nothing?
No. I will stop at nothing! Tee hee!
I love those little cups too – and they taste good too. It’s the closet thing we’ve had to spring in these here parts…
Turnip says “miam, miam, miam” and “Mummy, have you checked the mail?”. In this era where a website can ship anything to you, she wonders why you can’t manage to ship her treat to her.
Pumpkin casually mentions that her birthday is in 6 days. Since “she’s going to be a grown-up, please avoid mixing bacon and chocolate for her treat”. Instead she wants something with… marshmallows and mushrooms! Now everyone knows why Pumpkin and Turnip will never have little Radish join them: kids are disgusting.
1. Please tell Turnip that I’m sorry ice cream doesn’t ship well. I do have a spring package almost ready to ship to France, though I will admit it contains no chocolate sauce.
2. Please tell Pumpkin that I’ve already got a birthday treat planned for her (which 2.0 will eat). I’m not sure about the marshmallows and mushrooms… but I’ll see if I can adapt.
3. Please tell Pumpkin that in the future, odd combinations like marshmallows and mushrooms should be mentioned well in advance so as to allow for testing. Lots. Of. Testing.
4. Kids ARE disgusting. I’m glad we see eye to eye here.
mmm, what a sundae! You should def serve ice cream sundaes at your Ballerina Bakeshop.
And old fashioned milkshakes! Oh, it would be a wonderful place…
Few things are more terrifying than an enraged child. My nephew seriously looks like a psychopathic murderer when he is angry. It’s. Terrifying. I seriously get like, scared for my life. Like I will wake up and he will be standing above me with a knife……………
ANYWAY, good move to make it up to her with some delicious chocolate ice cream… otherwise, stabbiness. I would prefer for you to not be stabbed to death, personally.
I think I might make these at my next dinner party…. first I will have to make friends, invite said friends over for “dinner party”, then… make this ice cream. On second thought, maybe I’ll just make it for myself.
I’m glad I’ll never meet your nephew.
I haven’t slept in three days. Thanks for putting the image of Turnip standing above me with a knife, face smeared with chocolate ice cream… {shudder}
It’s not that I dislike vanilla ice cream, I just find it so…. boring. This, however, this is acceptable. I should add that whipped cream was for a long time on my Foods Most Unwanted list. I KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BRAIN.
As always, I’m extremely disappointed. First, vanilla ice cream is the best. THE BEST. Second, REALLY EMMA? Whipped cream? REALLY?
Gah.
The more we learn about Turnip the more we all love her. I appreciate a kid who do dead eyes. Most people spend their whole lives trying to perfect it. And she’s got the ice cream flavour thing down at a young age. I mean who likes vanilla ice cream. It’s boring. This however is pure genius. And very French.
Yah, Turnip is a Dead Eyes savant.
I’m so, so proud.
Oh boy am I happy I saw this. When my birthday comes around and my husband asks me what I’d like to have/eat, I almost always answer: ice cream! And I was just like little Turnip, wanting everything chocolate as a kid – no vanilla or strawberry for me. I haven’t changed all that much, come to think of it. This sundae totally brings me joy. Thanks for sharing. PS – your website looks amazing!
Thanks, lady! Also: now I want ice cream cake.
I personally think bacon brittle is wasted on dead-eyed four year olds. Let them eat gummy bears and rainbow sprinkles, and give the grown ups all the bacon brittle. Win win win!!!
This is a good point, Sharon. In fact, I spend a fair amount of time baking for little children, and they give me nothing in return. Why don’t they bake stuff for ME?
Just kidding. I’d never eat anything a kid touched.
After she has seen this creation, wee Turnip would have to have a very cold heart not to forgive you for the vanilla incident ! You can leave the vanilla ice cream for me. I love everything vanilla. The more little black speckles in vanilla ice cream the more I like it….assuming the black speckles are vanilla bean. 🙂
Angry kids are like tiny homicidal maniacs: i know, b/c i have a 3yo who can give you the worst stare-down you’ve ever seen. If i ask her to eat anything “slimy” (i.e. basically any vegetable), she’ll look at me like i just set all her toys on fire. Definitely never give Turnip vanilla ice cream again: you never know what could happen. But this ice cream? FIT FOR A WEE ANGRY QUEEN. i love it.
This looks so perfect for this hot weather! I love chocolate ice cream. That is what I always get when I go to an ice cream shop. The idea of bacon brittle sounds fantastic. A little bit of savory and crunch would just be perfect on that creamy chocolate ice cream.
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