Berry Crisp Recipe with Homemade Caramel and No Churn Ice Cream

There are few desserts I enjoy more than crisp and cobbler recipes, so in the spirit of summer and fresh berries, I thought I would create a Berry Crisp Recipe with Homemade Caramel and No Church Ice Cream.  I like crisp and cobbler recipes because they’re just so easy to make and so incredibly versatile.  For instance, the same base of this recipe, this crisp portion, would go great with whatever fruit is in season.  I often make the same recipe, but I use apples or pears during the winter months to take advantage of the seasonal fruit.  While the berry crisp portion of this recipe is wonderful by itself, the caramel and no churn ice cream take it to the next level.

Making homemade ice cream is incredibly easy to do – you just need 4-6 hours for the ice cream batter to freeze properly. You also may be thinking that you don’t have an ice cream maker, but no worries, because this no churn ice cream recipe only requires a mixer.  If you don’t have a mixer, you can still pull this off with a whisk and a lot of energy.  Start by whisking some heavy cream and sugar to stiff peaks.  Once the peaks have formed, add in a bit of fresh vanilla bean seeds and some vanilla extract.  After the vanilla is mixed in, fold in some cold mascarpone cheese.  Adding the cheese in will bring some body to the ice cream batter, as well as give it an amazing flavor.  Then, simply transfer it to a loaf pan or an ice cream tub and place it in the freezer until it’s frozen.  I know I said 4-6 hours but if you can let it sit overnight – that’s even better.

I used to despise making caramel because I would always burn the sugar before I put the fat in, which would drive me crazy!  It was something I struggled with even when I was in the restaurant industry.  It’s not that I don’t know how to make caramel, it’s because I had 8,000 other things I was trying to do and always forgot about the sugar cooking.  Well, I think I’ve figured out a fool-proof way to do it nowadays: add some brown sugar, cream and butter to a pot and bring it a boil, and boom! It’s done.  No need to worry about the sugar burning, as the fat will help keep it from burning.  After it come to a boil, you can remove it from the heat and whisk in some brandy, whisky, or whatever you would like.  Keep the caramel warm until serving.

One of the pieces in our rehabbed kitchen that we absolutely love is our Franke farmhouse sink, faucet and roller mat.  When I first received the roller mat, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it, but now I feel as if I can’t live without it.  I use it to dry dishes on, as a hot pad underneath pots and pans that come right out of the oven, and I use it as a strainer to wash produce on.  The Franke gooseneck faucet and hose extender make it so easy to wash all sides of the fruit.  My wife is all about beauty, and I’m all about functionality, and we definitely got both with our Franke sink, faucets and roller mat.

After I wash the fresh berries, I like to toss them around in a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice and sugar to help sweeten them up a bit – and to add a bit more sourness to them.  From there, simply add it to a casserole dish or skillet and prepare the streusel.  I like to use a combination of rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and butter for my streusel, and once the fat is cut in, I evenly sprinkle it all over the top of the berries. Then I send it off to the oven for baking.

Just as soon as the crisp is removed from the oven, I immediately do all I can to serve it up with the caramel and ice cream for the perfect treat!  Soooo Good!  Happy Baking!