Death by Chocolate Ice Cream

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There’s a reason why chocolate ice cream is a classic. All the kids loved it but, as we grow up, the palate becomes more refined and I found myself finding “regular” milk chocolate to be lacking something. I did find a chocolate sorbet in Rome once that made me swoon over it and I still think about it now, years later, but otherwise the usual ice creams you could find in the store just lacked flavour for me.

I therefore set out for a better version. One creamy, velvety, dark. One with both cocoa powder AND dark melted chocolate, that would look deeply brown in the pint, none of that light brown travesty. One that would look as glossy, shiny, DARK as it tasted, one that maybe could kill you from all the chocolate intensity.

But I digress.

This recipe is by miles the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had (and believe me, I’ve done extensive research). It’s gorgeously creamy, with a chocolate flavour so deep and fudgy you’d think you were eating frozen brownies. It’s probably the best chocolate ice cream you will make, too.

The secret is in adding both cocoa and dark chocolate to the mix, as well as a good glug of alcohol. I used a cocoa vanilla liqueur I had, which is simply divine but you can use (less) whisky instead for a stronger flavour or more pure vanilla extract (make sure it’s alcohol based). As it is custard based, there is a bit more work involved, but the end result is so luscious it is definitely worth your time and effort.

The alcohol will prevent ice crystals from forming and make the chocolate flavour stand out even more. It’s basically the same reason we added vanilla extract to the vanilla ice cream recipe, better texture, deeper flavour, what’s not to like?! Should you not have liqueur, you can use whisky, cognac, bourbon, all would marry so well with the deep chocolate flavour.

I love using my Sage ice cream maker for all my ice creams - no need to pre-freeze the bowl and, with several hardness options, perfect for either gelato, ice cream, or sorbet. It even has a little “ding” to let you know it’s time to add any add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, marshmallows, while also having a little song at the end to let you know it’s ready!

So without further ado, here it is, my fudgy, chocolatey ice cream recipe to end all chocolate ice cream recipes.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Ingredients (makes 1 litre)

Adapted from David Lebovitz

For the custard base

• 5 large egg yolks

• 100g sugar

• 250ml milk

• pinch of salt

For the chocolate base

• 100g sugar

• 85g Dutch processed cocoa powder

• 375ml heavy cream

• 100g chopped dark chocolate (i used 66% cocoa)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp cocoa liqueur/1 tbsp whisky/1 tbsp vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

If you have an ice cream maker with a freezable bowl, make sure you put said bowl in the freezer 24 hours ahead.

Start by making the chocolate base. In a pan mix the cocoa, 100g sugar, salt, cream. It will look lumpy and not homogenous but it will come together when it cooks. Set it over medium heat and let it come to a soft boil while constantly mixing. This will prevent any lumps.

When mixture is boiling, add the chocolate cut into chunks and the vanilla and liqueur. Take off the heat and stir well. Let cool.

Make the custard. In a bowl mix the egg yolks with the pinch of salt and 100g sugar.

Bring the milk to a soft boil in a pan. As soon as it is steaming, slowly pour about half of it into the egg mixture while constantly whisking. This will temper the eggs.

Put the egg yolk-milk mixture back into the pan and onto a low heat. Mix constantly making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan until custard thickens. I like to use a thermometer for this to avoid curdling, I take the custard off the heat as soon as it hits 82-85 degrees Celsius. Pour into a large bowl.

Add the chocolate base to the custard, mixing well. At this point you can strain the mixture but I am often too lazy to do so and have yet to notice any difference.

Let the ice cream base cool and, ideally, chill it in the fridge for a few hours.

When ready to churn, do so according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It should take about 45 minutes-1hour if your base is thoroughly chilled.

Transfer to containers and freeze another couple hours or so until it’s perfectly set.

As home made ice cream has less air whipped into it than store bought, make sure you take it out of the freezer a good 10-15 minutes before you plan to eat it to reach the perfect scoopable consistency.

For the many of you that had asked, this is the ice cream maker I use. I cannot sing its praises enough, for an ice cream aficionado like I like to consider myself to be, it is the perfect machine!

So here it is, the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever made. I hope you like it too and don’t hesitate to drop a comment and let me know if you’re planning to make it!