By Melissa Clark

Yes, you can make excellent ice cream without an ice cream machine — and with just two ingredients. This salted caramel version has a buoyant, velvety texture thanks to whipped cream and gets toasty butterscotch notes from prepared dulce de leche, a richly complex substitute for the more commonly used sweetened condensed milk. Adding a pinch of flaky sea salt to some of the dulce de leche before swirling it into the ice cream base gives the whole thing crunchy, savory pops, balancing out the sweetness. And if you want to go one step further, swirling in a few tablespoons of chopped nuts, shredded coconut or chocolate chips along with the dulce de leche adds texture as well as flavor.

No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can or jar dulce de leche

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt (optional)

Directions:

Pour 3/4 cup of dulce de leche into a small bowl. In a large bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat heavy cream and fine sea salt until stiff. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to the small bowl, and mix until the dulce de leche has loosened.

Add the lightened dulce de leche mixture to the bowl of whipped cream, gently folding until combined.

Add remaining 5 ounces dulce de leche to the now-empty small bowl and season with flaky salt (or you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, but you won’t have the crunch).

In a quart-size container, add one-quarter of the dulce de leche whipped cream. Dollop in a few small spoonfuls of salted dulce de leche on top and swirl gently. Repeat until all of the whipped cream and dulce de leche are transferred. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Total time: 3 1/2 hours, makes 1 1/2 pints.

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