Chocolate Ice Cream

Happy Monday, Fellow Foodies!!!

Labor Day is right around the corner, and that means it is time to put summer back on the shelf for another year. My favorite thing about Labor Day is that nearly everyone I know hold a BBQ! For me, that means it is time to make one more batch of fresh ice cream for ever one before it's too cold to enjoy it.

I am making Chocolate ice cream this week. Here is the recipe!

Chocolate Ice Cream

3 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cocoa powder*

Have a very large container of ice at the ready for sinking your hot pot into to keep your mixture from curdling.

Pour the cream and milk into a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add the cocoa powder and 1/2 of the sugar and bring to a boil, but be careful not to leave the stove as the cream can boil OVER The pot and cause a huge mess.

In a separate large bowl (preferably glass), while the cream mixture is coming to a boil, whisk the yolks and the remaining sugar vigorously together until you have a nice lemon colored, creamy mix. Once the cream comes to a boil, SLOWLY in a steady stream WHILE WHISKING THE ENTIRE TIME add your cream mix to your egg yolk mixture. once all the cream is incorporates, pour the ice cream base back into the pot and warm over very very low heat until the base heavily coats the back of a spoon. You can see pictures for this in my May 2, 2012 blog entry. Once your base is ready plunge the entire pot into a lager container of ice (I find filling the sink works best). Gently stir the ice cream base with a large spoon to facilitate quicker cool down. Once the ice cream base has dropped to about 45F, transfer to a covered container and allow it to "rest" in the fridge over night to 3 days.

Freeze your chocolate ice cream according the manufacturer's directions for your ice cream machine. It will resemble soft serve when it is ready.

Transfer your fresh ice cream to a clean, dry container and place it in the freezer to 'set up' for 4-24 hours, it will become a little harder. Eat, enjoy, repeat!

* Why cocoa and not chocolate in the chocolate ice cream, you ask? Chocolate contains fat solids, sugar, and binders which the ice cream itself already contains. Cocoa powder is a purer flavor, and does not muddle down your ice cream with redundant ingredients.