While navigating my way through the Barcelona train station, I was suddenly surrounded by a squadron of Spanish police, guns drawn, barking orders at me in Spanish. Aimed and ready, they gestured to me to open up the suspiciously overstuffed valise I was dragging. I carefully unzipped my bulky suitcase, revealing rows and rows of peculiar brown paper-wrapped bundles, all packed neatly in rows. An officer demanded that I unwrap one of the packages. I slowly tore the paper off the first one and held it high for all to see. The policemen let down their guns and had a good laugh. My crime? Smuggling home blocks of crispy Spanish turrón. This ice cream duplicates the taste of turrón with crispy almonds, honey, and a touch of candied orange, and it can be made, without raising any suspicions, in your ice cream maker at home.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/4 quarts (1 1/4 liters)

　　1 1/2 cups (375 ml) half-and-half

　　1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) good-flavored honey

　　Pinch of salt

　　1 orange, preferably unsprayed

　　1 1/2 cups (375 ml) heavy cream

　　5 large egg yolks

　　1 teaspoon orange-flower water

　　2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel (see Note)

　　2/3 cup (75 g) almonds, toasted (page 13) and very coarsely chopped

　　1/4 cup (30 g) shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, very coarsely chopped

　　

Step 1

Warm the half-and-half, sugar, honey, and salt in a medium saucepan. Zest the orange directly into the mixture. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

　　

Step 2

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

　　

Step 3

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 stir it into the cream to cool. Add the orange-flower water and stir until cool over an ice bath.

　　

Step 4

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the machine, fold in the candied orange peel, almonds, and pistachio nuts.

　　Cooks' Note

　　To order candied orange peel, see Resources (page 237). You can also make Candied Citrus Peel (page 178) using orange zest.

　　The Perfect Scoop