dulce de leche ice cream

Serves 6

Dulce de leche is a poppular caramel in Latin America. You can make a quick version of this ice cream by mixing half the dulce de leche with 1 litre of softened good-quality vanilla ice cream. Begin this recipe a day ahead.

• 400ml thickened cream
• 790 ml (2x395ml cans) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 630ml full-cream milk
• Praline pieces, crushed toffeed almonds or toffee shards, to serve

1. Remove and discard labels from the milk cans, then using a can opener.
2. Place in a saucepan, opened-side up, and add enough water to almost cover cans. Bring to the boil, then adjust heat to simmer gently and steadily. Cook for 3 hours, reguraly topping up with boiling water so it stays at the same level, until a thick caramel in colour.
3. Remove from heat and, using an oven glove, carefully remove cans from water. Cook completely. Open cans an scoop out dulce de leche into a container. Cover and chill. (it'll keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks).
4. Combine milk, cream and a pinch of salt in a large pan over low heat until just below boiling point. Remove from heat, add two-thirds of the dulce de leche and whisk to combine.
5. Transfer to a metal bowl and place in a large bowl or sink filled with cold water until cooled. Stir in vanilla, then chill for 1 hour until well chilled.
6. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and freeze until frozen at the edges. Remove from the freezer and beat oeth an electric beater. Pour back into the container and refreeze. Repeat 2 or 3 times. (Alternatively, churn the mixture in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer's directions). Transfer to a large plastic container, adding dollops of reserved dulce de leche here and there. Cover and freeze overnight.
7. Serve scoops of the dulce de leche ice cream garnished with praline, toffeed almonds or toffee shards, if desired.