Double Chocolate Ice Cream

I am loving my new ice cream maker. The process is easy and the results are fabulous. Above all, I appreciate having control over the ingredients. As we learned with this batch, high quality ingredients make a stupendous ice cream!

This ice cream was thick and rich and set up well in the freezer. I had some a little early on the first night and it was rather melty, but since then it has stayed at the perfect firm but scoopable consistency. I must warn you, though, that the chocolate flavor was rather intense - it actually gave me a caffeine buzz! (Bear in mind that I don't drink any caffeinated drinks, so I'm more susceptible.) Jeff, who professes to dislike plain chocolate ice cream, has also been savoring this batch. Definitely a winner in my book. I know I'll be making this recipe over and over again.

Double Chocolate Ice Cream
From Cooking Light January 2012.

1 1/3 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa powder, unsweetened (I used Valhrona)
2 1/2 c 2% milk, divided (the milk I buy is low-temperature pasteurized, which lets it retain its creaminess and flavor - I think the quality of the milk made an enormous difference in the quality of the ice cream)
3 egg yolks
1/3 c heavy cream
2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Valhrona 66%)

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder. Add 1/2 c milk and egg yolks and whisk well to fully combine.

When there are no lumps left, stir in the remaining 2 c milk. Cook until a thermometer registers 160°F, about ten minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.

Place cream in a microwave-safe bowl (I used my pyrex measuring cup for this entire step) and microwave about 90 seconds, until it comes to a boil. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and stir until smooth. Add this to the hot milk mixture and stir to combine. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl (I transferred mine back into the Pyrex cup first, so I wasn't starting with a hot pot that would melt the ice instantly). Cool completely, stirring occasionally (when it gets down toward room temperature, you might want to place it in the fridge to speed things up).

Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and freeze according to the instructions (mine needed to churn for about 35 minutes). Transfer into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours, until firm (the original recipe says at least an hour, but mine was still rather soupy at that point). Enjoy!