Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

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Melting fast!

A couple of Christmases ago, my daughter gave me an electric ice cream maker. On sweltering days like today (41 degrees C) it is a godsend.

For dessert tonight I made a very dark, very rich chocolate ice cream.  With ingredients including 70% cocoa dark chocolate, cream and eggs (from our chooks), this ice cream is hardly a dieter's treat.  Yet because it is so rich, one is inclined to eat less, so perhaps it is not quite so naughty after all.

This is a traditional ice cream made from an egg custard.  You could adapt the recipe to make vanilla ice cream by eliminating the chocolate and adding a crushed vanilla pod to the milk and cream prior to heating.

Please note: this dessert needs to be planned ahead because the chocolate custard must chill fully before being churned in an ice cream maker.  I recommend preparing the custard the day before churning, if possible. Also, depending on your ice cream maker, you may also need to freeze the metal bowl ahead of time.

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream 

1 Cup (250 ml) milk

1 Cup (250 ml) cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa, sifted

150 melted dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa chocolate)

1. Whisk eggs, sugar and sifted cocoa together until well combined.  
2. Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan and heat to scalding point (very hot to the touch but not quite boiling).  
3. Pour milk mixture into egg mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly.  
4. Return mixture to the saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon.  It is important not to let the custard boil as the eggs will curdle.
5. Gently stir in the melted chocolate.
6. Pour the finished chocolate custard into a bowl and refrigerate until well-chilled.
7. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.  
8. If you don't have an electric ice cream maker, freeze the chocolate custard in a metal cake tin until nearly frozen, then transfer the custard into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until smooth.  Freeze again until firm.