Chocolate Ice Cream

I love ice cream…said every human being on earth. It’s the quintessential summertime dessert, and there is nothing like homemade ice cream. There’s a creaminess and boldness missing from some store-bought varieties. It took me a while to bite the bullet and buy an ice cream maker of my own. I’m so glad I decided to take the plunge, because after my first couple batches, there was no turning back. There are quite a few options out there. This is the one I have and I love it! Making your own ice cream at home is very simple. It takes just a few ingredients and a little patience. In the end you will be handsomely rewarded.

This recipe results in the creamiest texture and rich, balanced chocolate flavors. Here I go again on my soapbox, but use a good quality cocoa powder. You all know by now, Ghirardelli is my go to and I highly encourage it to be yours as well. You can leave the ice cream plain, or add your own favorite crushed candies or cookies. We used crushed Oreo’s. However, the possibilities are endless.

Enough chatting, let’s get to the recipe already!

Start off by adding the cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat.

Pour in the half and half and heavy cream.

Whisk together until smooth.

Bring to just a simmer and remove from heat.

Flex your muscles, it’s about to get serious. Add 8 yolks to a bowl and whisk until they lighten in color.

Now SLOWLY whisk in all the sugar until it pales in color. This will take a little while. If your arm hurts, you’re doing it right!

Scoop small amounts of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. This is tempering the eggs. Once 1/3 of the chocolate mixture has been added to the eggs, pour the whole contents back into the sauce pan. Put the pan back on the heat and continue cooking on low until mixture reaches 170 degrees, coats the back of the spoon and remains separate when finger is drawn down the back.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and stir in vanilla extract. Pop in the fridge until it cools down further to 40 degrees. This should take a few hours. Pour the cooled mixture into your ice cream maker and make according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once mixture has just about reached desired consistency, add in crumbled up Oreo cookies. You can freeze this so the ice cream gets harder (if you can wait, I cannot), or eat it now as soft serve (correct choice)!

XO, Sarah

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