Nothing recalls childhood memories quite like a scoop of rich ice cream from your favorite ice cream parlor. As an adult, there are times when it’s especially comforting — essential even — to cling to those sticky sweet memories, whether we grab a scoop or pint on the go, or attempt to recreate the magic at home.

Rewarding as it may be to make in your own kitchen, ice cream recipes often take considerable time, not to mention special equipment. But the process doesn’t have to be that difficult. With nothing more than a blender, or armed with determination and a whisk, you can whip up your own homemade deliciousness.

My recipe below isn’t the first “no-churn” ice cream, but I hope it becomes a favorite of yours. If you’ve made no-churn ice cream before, you might have been disappointed by the fatty, tongue-coating texture and overly-sweet, milky taste thanks to the base ingredients. I hear you. Most methods I tested call for a base of heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. Whipping the heavy cream is crucial to mimicking the texture and mouth feel of classic churned ice cream. Sweetened condensed milk (most recipes call for a whole 14-ounce can) is a liquid sweetener used to create a smooth, scoopable ice cream. But that heavy cream results in the fatty, cloying texture. And the sweetened condensed milk? It results in a ridiculously sweet, lingering milky taste.

Creating that perfect scoop is easily accomplished by manipulating a few common ingredients. I found that combining whole milk and alcohol — in this case, Bourbon — results in bigger ice crystals, giving the finished product a pleasing texture. And limiting the sweetened condensed milk — I use one cup by volume, with a quarter cup of homemade caramel mellows out otherwise overly-sweet notes.

Bourbon and salted caramel are delicious on their own but combining them in homemade ice cream elevates this childhood memory to an adult-friendly treat. Nothing will cool your taste buds and warm your soul like a scoop of this recipe.

— Dylan Simmons

BOOZY BOURBON SALTED CARAMEL NO-CHURN ICE CREAM

35 minutes, plus about 6 hours freezing time. Makes 1 quart

SALTED CARAMEL

Makes ¾ cups of caramel

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

3 tablespoons heavy cream

in a small saucepan heated over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, salt and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes. Once the sugar dissolves, bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. When sugar starts to brown, stir gently, without splashing the sides of the pan.
When sugar reaches a deep copper color, after 7 to 9 minutes (a candy thermometer inserted should read 350 degrees), remove from heat. Working quickly, whisk in the cream and butter, careful to avoid any hot steam that will arise. Transfer the caramel to a heatproof container and refrigerate for until cooled but still warm to the touch, about 25 minutes. This makes about 3/4 cup salted caramel.

ICE CREAM

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup salted caramel plus ½ cup, divided

2 tablespoons bourbon

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Coarse flaked sea salt, for garnish

Chill an 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan in the freezer while making the ice cream base.
In the bowl of a blender, process the heavy cream, vanilla, sugar and salt until soft peaks form, about 30 seconds (or whip by hand using a whisk). Scrape down sides of the blender and blend for an additional 10 to 20 more seconds to fully combine.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, ¼ cup caramel, Bourbon and milk, and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to the chilled loaf pan, and swirl in the remaining ½ cup of caramel using a fork or toothpick. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, about 6 hours. Garnish with a sprinkling of coarse flaked sea salt.

Note: From Dylan Simmons.