6 egg yolks cup dark brown sugar, packed 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk teaspoon ground cloves cup whiskey or Macallan Amber teaspoon maple extract 6 strips candied bacon, finely chopped Make the candied bacon by preheating your oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack on it. s.p.a.ce the bacon out on the rack. Sprinkle each slice with a little granulated maple sugar. Bake until crisp and glossy, 1015 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Flip the bacon over. Sprinkle with more maple sugar. Bake for another 510 minutes, until crisp and glossy. Remove the pan from the oven. Let the bacon cool on the rack. Finely chop when cool.

Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together in a large bowl until uniform. Set aside.

Whisk the cream and milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook, whisking occasionally, over medium heat until the mixture just starts to bubble around the edges.

Slowly, drizzle the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the ground cloves, whiskey, and maple extract. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture"s temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer"s instructions. Add the chopped, candied bacon in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Make Ahead Make the candied bacon a few hours ahead of time so it has plenty of time to cool. If you"re a bacon lover, make a double batch. (Just don"t blame me if you eat it all beforehand. It"s so good.)

Thundering Viking Ice Cream with Spiced Mead

This honey ice cream is laced with spiced mead, a fermented honey wine that"s flavored with a variety of spices. Find mead at any well-stocked liquor store, most likely in between the beer and wine. A little ground coriander and cloves bring out the flavor of the mead.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

6 egg yolks 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk teaspoon ground coriander teaspoon ground cloves 2 whole vanilla beans cup honey cup Viking Blood spiced mead Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the cream, milk, ground coriander, and ground cloves in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Slit the vanilla pods in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Sc.r.a.pe out the paste with the back of your knife. Add the vanilla pods and paste to the pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let the mixture infuse for 1520 minutes. Remove the vanilla pods and discard. Warm the mixture again on the stove until steaming.

Slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Add the honey and spiced mead, whisking until the honey breaks up and the mixture is uniform. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture"s temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer"s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Pernod Ice Cream with Australian Licorice

Like black licorice? You"re going to love this ice cream. It"s flavored with Pernod-and a few handfuls of Australian licorice, a softer type of licorice that"s ever so slightly salty. The contrast of flavors and textures makes for an amazing ice cream.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

6 egg yolks cup white sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 25 pieces Australian licorice, finely chopped cup Pernod Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the cream, milk, and half the chopped licorice in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Reserve the other half of the licorice. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges. Puree in the pot using an immersion blender. (If you don"t have an immersion blender, puree in batches carefully in your traditional blender.) Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly drizzle the hot mixture into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl, discarding any chunks of licorice that did not dissolve. Whisk in the Pernod. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture"s temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer"s instructions, adding in the reserved chopped licorice in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Chop, Chop, Chop Be sure to chop the licorice as small as you can. If the chunks are too large, they won"t melt well. Also, you don"t want large pieces in the finished ice cream-they"ll get rock solid when frozen.

Licorice-Flavored Liquors If you don"t have Pernod, try subst.i.tuting Greek ouzo, Italian sambuca or anisette, or French pastis. If the liquor you choose is sweet, cut the amount of sugar in this recipe down to cup.

Kate"s Brown Sugar Bourbon Ice Cream

This sumptuous dessert gets its name from my friend Kate, who said she tried bourbon ice cream a year ago and is still thinking about it. Ice cream that memorable needs to be re-created. This version has lingering notes of bourbon, and it gets a subtle, caramel-tinged sweetness from dark brown sugar.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

6 egg yolks cup dark brown sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1 vanilla bean cup bourbon Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the cream and milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Slit the vanilla pod in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Sc.r.a.pe out the paste with the back of your knife. Add the vanilla pod and paste to the pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let the mixture infuse for 1520 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Warm the mixture again on the stove until steaming.

Slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Whisk in the bourbon. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture"s temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer"s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Something to Remember All bourbon is whiskey. Not all whiskey is bourbon. Be sure to use a top-shelf liquor, like Maker"s Mark, for this recipe to get the sweet smokiness that makes this ice cream so special.

Bananas Foster Ice Cream

This ice cream tastes just like the Bananas Foster you might get at Brennan"s, New Orleans"s legendary culinary haunt. It blends b.u.t.tery, caramelized bananas with rich heavy cream and dark rum. And because you don"t actually flambe the bananas, the ice cream still has plenty of boozy kick.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTS.

3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, cut into chunks 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 pounds bananas, peeled and sliced (about 3 medium-sized) cup white sugar 2 cups heavy cream cup dark rum Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toss in the brown sugar and sliced bananas. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the bananas are light brown and soft, and the sugar and b.u.t.ter have combined into a heavenly, banana-laced caramel sauce.

Transfer the hot bananas and sauce into your blender. Puree until smooth.

Add the white sugar, cream, and dark rum. Blend until smooth. Chill the mixture for 24 hours, or until cold.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer"s instructions.

Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight and enjoy!

Roasted Bananas If you don"t have room on the stove, roast the bananas instead. It takes longer, but the results are just as good. Preheat your oven to 375F. Put the bananas in a 9" 13" gla.s.s baking dish. Toss with dark brown sugar and chunks of b.u.t.ter. Roast for 2530 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.

Mango Sunrise Ice Cream

Lush, fruity mango nectar provides tons of tropical flavor in this twist on a Tequila Sunrise c.o.c.ktail. For a little extra work, make this with fresh, pureed mango and increase the amount of sugar to cup.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

1 cups mango nectar cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons tequila 1 tablespoon triple sec Zest of 1 large orange Zest of large lemon 2 tablespoons grenadine Put the mango nectar, sugar, and cream in the blender. Blend just until smooth. (Don"t overblend, or you"ll wind up with whipped cream.) Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the tequila, triple sec, orange zest, and lemon zest. Chill the mixture for 24 hours, or until cold.

When your mixture is cold, pour it into your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer"s instructions. Transfer to a container.

Pour the grenadine over the surface. Gently fold it in a couple of times. Don"t overdo it. You want to make luscious red swirls-not turn the ice cream pink. Freeze overnight.

Boozy Brazilian Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

This is a frozen, boozy version of the brigadeiro, a truffle-like Brazilian candy made with sweetened condensed milk, b.u.t.ter, and cocoa powder. It"s rich and intensely chocolaty-with just a hint of caramel from the condensed milk. This seriously addictive treat is laced with creme de cacao and tastes just like a frozen chocolate truffle.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTS.

2 cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract cup cocoa powder cup dark creme de cacao 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk Put the cream, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until they hold soft peaks.

Whisk the creme de cacao into the condensed milk. Drizzle it into the cream mixture with the mixer running. Beat until the mixture holds firm peaks.

Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Condensed Milk vs. Evaporated Milk What"s the difference? In a word: sugar. And it"s a huge difference. Condensed milk is whole milk that"s been slow cooked with sugar until it"s reduced by a little more than half. The result is thick, syrupy, and caramel flavored. Evaporated milk is thin and unsweetened. Make sure you walk out of the market with the right can. They"re definitely not interchangeable.

Coconut Cream Pie Ice Cream

Depending on where you go in the country, coconut cream pie isn"t just a staple in the diner dessert case. It has an inspired following that puts barbecue compet.i.tions and blue-ribbon bakeoffs to shame. What we have here is a dense ice cream-laden with coconut milk-that gets beefed up with a couple shots of coconut rum. Shredded coconut provides a little extra texture. Drizzle it with hot fudge sauce for a totally decadent treat.

MAKES 1 QUART.

2 cups heavy cream 1 cup coconut milk cup sugar cup Malibu rum 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut Whisk the cream, coconut milk, sugar, and rum together in a large bowl until the sugar has completely dissolved. Refrigerate until completely chilled.