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How to Make 5 Ice Cream Toppings

Tyler Malek, Salt & Straw's head ice cream maker, shows us how to dress up scoops with these easy gourmet toppings

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Tyler Malek, Salt & Straw‘s head ice cream maker, shows us how to dress up scoops with these easy gourmet toppings

Tyler Malek, head ice cream maker at Portland-based Salt & Straw, serves up five gourmet ice cream toppings to elevate your ice cream repertoire.

He starts with a recipe for olive oil hot fudge, combining corn syrup, whole milk, heavy cream, olive oil, and salt in a pan over the stove. Make sure the liquid is hot before adding in chocolate chips, and then blend until smooth. Pour immediately over vanilla ice cream and dig in.

Next, Malek walks through his black rum-poached peach recipe. First add sugar, black rum, vanilla bean paste, corn syrup, and salt to a pan. Peel the peaches while you wait for the mixture to reach a boil. Add peeled peaches and simmer for three additional minutes before serving atop vanilla ice cream.

Coconut lovers will enjoy his lavender white chocolate shell recipe, which is a perfect addition to chocolate or black raspberry ice cream. Start by heating white chocolate chips, coconut oil, and dried lavender over water until melted. Add lemon zest for flavor and purple food coloring for hue. Blend and then strain to remove excess coconut and chocolate.

For a savory ice cream flavor, try Malek’s sweet corn caramel recipe. Special ingredient: bourbon. Start by combining corn kennels and bourbon in a food processor. Strain the “corn juice.” Add corn syrup to the corn juice and heat to a steady boil. Cook to 232 degrees, then add salt and whisk once more before serving.

If you’re looking for something refreshing to top off your ice cream, go with his lemon curd, mint, and chive recipe. Start by combining Meyer lemon juice, butter, and corn syrup in a pan. Cook until syrup reaches a boil. In another bowl, add eggs, extra yolk, and sugar, making a super-creamy sauce. Whisk and slowly add in the syrup. Cook until the curd visibly coats the spoon—that’s the sign that it’s ready to serve. Top with mint and chives for a fresh flavor.

Topping ice cream with unexpected ingredients like olive oil and chocolate, or lemon and fresh herbs, Malek’s recipes are unique and delicious additions to the artisanal ice cream scene.

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