Decadent Birthday Desserts

This is a special blog post in that it's dedicated to decadent desserts. Not because I have a raging sweet tooth, but because it's my BIRTHDAY!!!! Yay! Nothing like a birthday to make you sit back and crave something simply divine. Well I took it a couple steps further because well, it's my birthday and I wanted to try something a little more grown up sans the birthday cake. So join me as we step into decadence with these delicious desserts.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients
* 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
* 2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup whole milk
* 3 large eggs

Directions
1. Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.
2. Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.
4. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
5. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
6. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Vanilla Creme Brulee with Raspberries

Ingredients
* 6 tablespoons raspberry jam
* 2 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries
* 6 large egg yolks
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
* 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
* 12 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon jam over bottom of each of six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Press 7 berries, placed on their sides, into jam in each dish. Reserve remaining raspberries for garnish.
3. Whisk yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Gradually whisk in cream.
4. Divide mixture among dishes. Arrange dishes in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.
5. Bake custards until set in center, about 40 minutes. Place pan on work surface. Cool custards in water 30 minutes. Remove from water; chill overnight.
6. Preheat broiler. Sieve 2 teaspoons brown sugar atop each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes. Chill until topping hardens, about 2 hours.
7. Garnish with reserved berries.