Magnum Madness Recipe
Homemade Magnum ijsje van Madagascar vanille & bone marrow parfait, Highland Park whisky caramel en donkere chocolade-bacon-gerookte amandel-pistache coating.
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Ingredients
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Vanilla & Bone Marrow Parfait (Magnum-style ice cream)
Highland Park Whisky Caramel
Dark Chocolate Bacon-Smoked Almond-Pistachio Coating
Assembly & Tools
Method
Vanilla & Bone Marrow Parfait (Magnum-style ice cream)
- 1
Prepare vanilla and marrow base
Split the Madagascar vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a medium saucepan. Add the pod, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Warm over medium heat until steam rises and sugars dissolve, stirring occasionally (do not boil).
- 2
- 3
Finish custard
Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard nappe coats the back of the spoon (approximately 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil.
- 4
Incorporate bone marrow
Remove from heat. Stir in the roasted, scraped bone marrow and kosher salt until fully emulsified and the marrow is dissolved into the custard. Taste and adjust salt if needed (marrow brings umami and richness — be cautious). Remove and discard the vanilla pod.
- 5
Chill and age
Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilling improves texture.
- 6
Churn and freeze
Once chilled, churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches soft–serve consistency. Immediately transfer to a shallow container, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill in the freezer until firm enough to unmold but still scoopable (about 2–3 hours).
Highland Park Whisky Caramel
- 7
Make caramel
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 0.75 cup granulated sugar and 2 tbs water over medium heat. Swirl the pan gently (do not stir) as the sugar melts and caramelizes to an amber color — watch closely to avoid burning.
- 8
Finish caramel sauce
Once amber, remove from heat and carefully whisk in the butter until melted. Slowly add the 1/2 cup heavy cream in a steady stream (it will bubble vigorously). Whisk until smooth. Let cool 2 minutes, then stir in 2 tbs Highland Park whisky and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Cool to room temperature before use; refrigerate if making ahead (reheat gently to loosen).
Dark Chocolate Bacon-Smoked Almond-Pistachio Coating
- 9
Prepare nuts and bacon
Render the bacon slices in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and crumble finely once cool. In the same skillet or separately, lightly toast the almonds and pistachios until fragrant (1–2 minutes) — if using unsmoked nuts, toast over wood chips or use a smoked salt to add smoke. Coarsely chop nuts and set aside.
- 10
Temper or melt chocolate
Melt the 10 oz chopped dark chocolate gently either in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave (20–30 seconds at 50% power, stirring between bursts) until smooth. If tempering, seed with the extra 2 oz chopped chocolate to bring temperature down and achieve a glossy snap; if not tempering, stir in 2 tsp neutral oil to thin slightly for easier coating.
- 11
Season coating
Stir the crumbled bacon into the warm melted chocolate, then fold in about three-quarters of the chopped smoked almonds and pistachios, reserving some for sprinkling. Add 1/4 tsp smoked sea salt and mix to combine. Keep the melted chocolate warm above a bowl of lightly simmering water while dipping.
Assembly & Freeze
- 12
Mold parfait on sticks
Spoon or pipe the semi-frozen vanilla-bone marrow parfait into mini magnum molds, filling three-quarters. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of cooled Highland Park whisky caramel into the center of each mold (use less if very fluid). Top with more parfait to fill the mold, smoothing the top. Insert wooden sticks, then freeze the bars until solid (minimum 4–6 hours, ideally overnight).
- 13
Demold and chill before coating
When bars are fully frozen, remove from molds and place on parchment paper or a wire rack set over a tray in the freezer. Keep everything very cold — the colder the bars, the better the chocolate will snap.
- 14
Coat with chocolate and nuts
Dip each frozen bar into the warm melted chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then immediately sprinkle reserved chopped smoked almonds, pistachios and a tiny pinch of extra crumbled bacon on top before the chocolate sets. Place dipped bars on parchment or a wire rack and return to the freezer for 10–15 minutes to set completely.
- 15
Storage
Once coated and fully set, store the Magnum Madness bars in an airtight container separated by parchment at -18°C (0°F) or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Let sit 2–3 minutes at room temperature before eating for best texture.