I can still remember how amazed I was when I made vanilla ice cream, from scratch, at home, for the very first time.
Sure, I had made it at culinary school before, and I’d eaten “home made” versions of ice cream, but this was just another level of awesomeness. I actually had an “oh my god I just made ice cream and it tastes real!” moment.
It was rich and creamy, smooth and luscious, flecked with vanilla beans and really tasted like delicious custard.
And as soon as I made it and it was all eaten and licked from the bowl, the response was, “Well, now you have to make chocolate ice cream”.
So here I am. Making chocolate ice cream.
And it’s just like the vanilla episode all over again, right down to the “oh my god I just make chocolate ice cream and it tastes real and I’ll never eat anything out of a tub ever again” moment.
Because this is what chocolate ice cream should taste like. It should be rich, thick and creamy. It should have a deep, dark chocolate flavour and taste like an amazing chocolate custard that got all frozen.
You have to try it! At least once. X
- 500ml cream (2 cups)
- 3 tbsp dutch processed cocoa powder
- 140g good quality dark chocolate (5 oz)
- 250ml milk (1 cup)
- 165g caster (superfine) sugar (3/4 cup)
- Pinch salt
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- In a medium saucepan, warm 250ml (1 cup) of the cream with the cocoa while whisking. Bring it to the boil and continue to whisk for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the chocolate until melted and combined, then stir in the remaining 250ml (1 cup) cream.
- Pour the mixture into a large heatproof bowl and set a strainer over the bowl.
- Whisk together the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, sugar and salt until it's just under the boil. Pour the milk mixture into the egg yolks in a slow and steady stream while constantly whisking.
- Return the anglaise back to the pot and place over a low heat. Cook, stirring with a rubber spatula constantly, until the mixture reaches 76 C (170 F).
- Pour the custard mixture through the strainer into the chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine, then cover with cling film, placing it directly on the surface of the ice cream.
- Refrigerate overnight to chill, or for at least 8 hours.
- Churn according to your machine's instructions, then transfer to a container and freeze.
- Makes 1 litre (1 quart).
- Happy baking!
Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop.