Description
These Croissant Salted Honey Ice Cream Sandwiches combine the buttery flakiness of mini croissants with rich homemade salted honey ice cream and crunchy butter waffle cookies for an indulgent and refreshing dessert experience. The ice cream custard is infused with honey and a touch of sea salt, churned to creamy perfection, then layered between crisped croissant halves for a perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 9 oz honey (3/4 cup), use a honey with a taste that you love
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 5 large egg yolks
Add-ins
- 3 oz butter waffle cookies (1 cup), coarsely crushed
Sandwich
- 8 mini croissants
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare the ice cream custard: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, milk, honey, and sea salt. While heating, whisk 5 large egg yolks gently in a separate medium bowl. When the cream mixture starts to simmer and just about to boil, remove it from heat. Slowly pour about one-third of the hot cream into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs without cooking them.
- Cook and thicken the custard: Return the saucepan to medium heat. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pan while whisking continuously. Cook the custard until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon, reaching approx. 175°F (80°C) if using a candy thermometer.
- Strain and chill the custard: Remove the pan from heat and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk occasionally as it cools to room temperature. Cover the surface with cling wrap to prevent skin formation and refrigerate until fully chilled. To speed cooling, place the bowl over an ice bath and whisk frequently.
- Churn the ice cream and add cookies: Once fully chilled, churn the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When it reaches soft-serve consistency, fold in the coarsely crushed butter waffle cookies. Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan, cover with cling wrap, and freeze for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Prepare croissants: Slice each mini croissant in half horizontally. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Fry four croissant halves, cut side down, until golden and crispy. Repeat with the remaining butter and croissant halves until all are crispy.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Place a generous scoop of the honey ice cream on the bottom half of each croissant, optionally drizzle with extra honey, then sandwich with the top croissant half. Serve immediately and enjoy your decadent salted honey ice cream sandwiches!
Notes
- Use a flavorful honey to enhance the ice cream’s sweetness and aroma.
- Tempering the eggs carefully is crucial to avoid scrambled eggs in the custard.
- If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the custard and stir every 30 minutes until firm to mimic churning.
- Butter waffle cookies add a delightful crunch but can be substituted with your preferred crunchy cookie.
- Serving the croissants warm and crispy contrasts beautifully with the cold ice cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French-American