INGREDIENT NOTES

• Butter. Salted or unsalted butter work. The butter is browned adding a subtlety nutty toffee flavor to this ice cream.
• Sugar. White, granulated sugar adds sweetness.
• Milk. I used whole milk, but 1% or 2% are fine too.
• Cream. Cream creates a rich base for this ice cream.
• Cream Cheese. Tangy cream cheese mimics the traditional gooey butter cake flavor while also making the ice cream base smooth and decadent, just like Jeni’s ice cream.
• Pound Cake. Pound cake chunks are added to the ice cream giving it the yellow cake flavor traditionally associated with gooey butter cake.
• Egg Yolks. Egg yolks contain lecithin’s which helps bind the fat and water together in this ice cream, while also adding richness.
• Vanilla. Vanilla adds that delicious bakery flavor and enhances the flavor profile.
• Salt. A little salt balances out the sweetness.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups cream
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• ⅔ + ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks beaten
• 8 ounces cream cheese (16 tablespoons or 1 brick)
• ½ cup butter cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups pound cake cut into small cubes (homemade or store bought)

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, place butter and let melt. Stirring occasionally brown the butter until the butter has a dark golden color. If you taste it the butter will have a toasted, nutty flavor. Pour into a bowl, set aside, and let cool until it’s not boiling hot. You’ll use the saucepan again in the next step (no need to clean it).
• In a bowl, beat 2 egg yolks, set aside. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, pour milk, cream, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When milk-cream mixture is hot remove ⅓ cup add it slowly to egg yolks, stirring quickly. This will temper the eggs, cooking them slowly, without scrambling them. Add the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan.Bring to a simmer for three minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Pour the custard (your cream, sugar, egg mixture) into a blender. Add in salt, vanilla, cream cheese, and brown butter. Blend on high for 30 seconds—hold a towel over the lid as you may have a little leakage. This will emulsify the butter with the other ingredients so they won’t separate. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. It will look like a thick pudding when cooled.
• Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and operate it in ice cream mode. While the ice cream is being churned, cut homemade or store-bought pound cake into small cubes and freeze them. This prevents the cake from crumbling when mixed into the ice cream. After the ice cream is done churning, stir in the cake pieces. Transfer the ice cream to a large container and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.