Low Carb Amaretto Ice Cream

A friend of mine had given me bottles of amaretto and kahlúa Da Vinci sugar free syrup many years ago. It was before I knew about low carb, so I stuck them in my liquor cabinet and forgot about them. I discovered them recently and wondered if I could use them in ice cream. Liquor based ice creams are nothing new. In fact, I was planning to make one, but the sugar content of most liquors makes it prohibitive. These sugar free syrups are perfect since they provide the flavor without any of the carbs (or calories).

Imagine my surprise when I looked in the Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book and found a recipe for “Kahlúa Amaretto Ice Cream.” A quarter cup of amaretto and a quarter cup of kahlúa added to their sweet cream base. Easy! However, I opted to go for an amaretto and almond based recipe first. I found one on the Internet that looked interesting, so I ran with it. The person who came up with it added two brilliant twists to the standard recipe: toast the almonds and add almond extract to the ice cream mix. Toasting the almonds really brings out their flavor. Just a ¼ teaspoon of almond extract gives another layer of flavor and aroma to this already great recipe.

CAUTION: Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Pasteurized eggs can be used in this recipe. Not every form of glycerin is fit for human consumption. For example, diethylene glycol is toxic and should not be consumed. Always verify the product is safe to use.

Ingredients

2¼ cups (522 g) heavy whipping cream
2 large eggs
1½ tablespoons Truvia
21 drops EZ-Sweetz
¼ cup (67 g) Da Vinci Gourmet Sugar Free Amaretto Syrup
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup (50 g) sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup (25 g) sliced almonds, raw
1 tablespoon (18 g) vegetable glycerin
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or ½ teaspoon Dixie Diner’s Thick It Up Low Carb Thickener

Directions

1. Toasted sliced almonds: Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Spread nuts in one layer on ungreased shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes until dark golden. They may look a little burnt, but they’re going to be perfect in the ice cream.
3. Put toasted and untoasted almonds in ice cream container and put in freezer to cool.
4. Ice cream: In a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup, whisk the eggs and then whisk in the sweeteners slowly until integrated and fluffy.
5. Add the glycerin, amaretto flavoring, and almond extract and whisk until combined. Slowly sprinkle in the stabilizer (xanthan gum or Thick It Up) while whisking until integrated.
6. Add heavy cream and whisk by hand slowly until combined. Do not overmix.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until ready, if necessary.
8. Follow your ice cream maker’s directions for making ice cream. One to two minutes before the ice cream is done, add the almonds. Use a silicone spatula to remove the ice cream from the ice cream maker and freeze until solid.