Since my first ice cream post I have made almost a dozen different flavors. My friend gave me her extra copy of the cookbook The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. There is a flavor called Malted Milk Ice Cream. When I saw the recipe, I knew immediately I HAD to make it. The malted milk powder is a sweetener made from natural barley and it gives a distinctive malt taste which I enjoy. I am a malt kind of person. My favorite ice cream flavor is Thrifty’s (Rite-Aid) Chocolate Malted Crunch. I prefer a Chocolate Malt over a Chocolate Shake and I especially LOVE Easter time when the Robin Egg Malt Balls (Whoppers with a crunchy shell) are in the candy aisle in most stores.

On Easter Sunday, I was assigned to take dessert. I of course decided to make this recipe using the Robin Eggs to give the ice cream a crunchy texture and a colorful spin.

Malted Milk Ice Cream
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1 cup half and half
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup malt powder
6 large egg yolks
2 cups malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

Warm the half and half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla and malt powder and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and whisk it into the malted milk mixture. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, fold in the chopped malted milk balls.