Smoked Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe

1. Before doing anything, place a glass or metal bowl, and the beaters of your electric (hand or stand) mixer into the freezer.
2. Fill a PRO Stainless Steel Smoker Tube with un-soaked wood chips, preferably a sweet fruit or nut wood. Place the Smoker Tube onto the sear plates over the burner you intend to light. Turn that burner on to the lowest setting you can achieve, warming the grill to 200°F or less, just enough for the wood to start smoking.
3. Pour the cream into a shallow and flat tray. Place that tray into a larger tray that is filled with ice to keep the cream cold. Disposable foil trays are ideal for this. Smoke the cream for up to 2 hours, tasting periodically to ensure you get the right amount of smoke taste for you.
4. When the cream is smoky enough for you, remove it from the grill and chill it while you make the candied bacon.
5. Heat the grill to 400°F. Place the bacon onto a baking tray with a wire rack. Combine the maple syrup and brown sugar, then brush it onto both sides of each slice of bacon. Cook the bacon on the grill over indirect heat until cooked crisp. Remove it from the grill and allow the bacon to cool before crumbling it. Set aside.
6. To make the ice cream, remove the beater and bowl from the freezer. Whip two cups of smoked cream with the vanilla, rum (optional), and the scrapings of the vanilla beans, until stiff peaks form. Fold in the can of sweetened condensed milk, and 2/3 of the crumbled candied bacon. Pour the cream mixture into a large shallow dish. Add a few swirls of caramel syrup, and add the last of the candied bacon. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until completely frozen.
7. Serve the ice cream, or make an insane sundae with caramel corn, toasted marshmallows, whipped cream, and more caramel syrup – the perfect way to celebrate National Sundae Day.

Smoked Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Candied Bacon and Caramel is easy to make. It’s filled with sweet caramel, salty bacon, and smoky vanilla, culminating in a complex explosion of flavor in your mouth. What will you top your Smoked Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Candied Bacon and Caramel with?