Three times a charm. And goodness sakes alive was I charmed when I finally got to taste the Salted Caramel Ice Cream at Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, California last fall! I had been hearing great things about Bi-Rite Creamery and their Salted Caramel Ice Cream from friends living in the San Francisco area – all insisted this ice cream was a ‘must try’ the first chance I got.

On my first visit to Bi-Rite Creamery, I found a line wrapped around the corner, which would have totally been worth the wait if I hadn’t been dealing with jet lag. On my second trip there, they were closed for remodeling. By the time the third visit rolled around I wasn’t letting anything stand in my way. And, all clichés aside, it was well worth the wait.

Bi-Rite Creamery makes small batch handcrafted ice creams which include specialty flavors like Honey Lavender, Roasted Banana and Orange Cardamom. But the Salted Caramel is what I was there to try. To say it was delicious would be an accurate but rather mundane way of describing such a delight. And delightful it was.

When I returned home, I kept my eyes peeled for Salted Caramel but was disappointed to not find anything churned locally. So I did what any self-respecting ice cream lover would do – I decided to make my own. I immediately turned to a man trusted for his ice cream skills, David Lebovitz. His book, The Perfect Scoop is packed with wonderful tips and tricks and other tasty frozen treats, but alas, no Salted Caramel recipe. Undaunted in my quest, I searched his site – surely he had mastered the Salted Caramel that I craved. And thank goodness, he did. I found his recipe for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream.

Following his directions to a “T,” I quickly went to work to create the goodness David promised. And David doesn’t lie. Every word he wrote touting the marvelous Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream recipe was true. It was the truth.

The truth I tell ya.

That David is one talented man. His Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream will now be the measure for every ice cream from now on. It is excellence in frozen form.

You just need to trust me on this and try it for yourself. You’ll find the full recipe for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream and other tips about it in David’s own words at his site, David Lebovitz – Living the Sweet Life in Paris.

Do try it, and please let me know what you think. And if you’re around these parts, bring me some. I’ll have a spoon ready and waiting.

Happy churning!