If
you are a chocolate lover, you will not be surprised to hear that chocolate ice cream is
an American favorite. This chocolate ice cream has a deep and rich chocolate
flavor because it contains both cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate. Its silky smooth
texture comes from making the ice cream with a custard base.
Ice creams that start with a
custard are made from cream, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. Each
ingredient contributes to the ice cream's smooth texture and
rich flavor. The amount of cream used and its butterfat content
gives ice cream its rich and creamy taste. The next ingredient, sugar,
gives the ice cream its smoothness. The eggs are necessary for smoothness and also
gives the ice cream its nice color. The best results come when the custard is made the the night before and left
in the refrigerator overnight to chill sufficiently before it is churned.
It is important that the
custard only fills your ice cream machine about half to two thirds full. This gives the custard enough room to expand while it freezes so you end
up with an ice cream with a light
texture and no graininess. As the ice cream is still quite soft once
it has been churned in the machine, transfer it to a storage container and
place it in the freezer for a few hours before serving. This also
allows the flavors to mellow. Although I prefer to eat homemade ice
cream the day it is made, it can be stored for a few weeks in the freezer. It will become quite hard after being frozen for any length of time so
transfer it to the refrigerator to soften for about 30 minutes before
serving.
In a small
saucepan gradually whisk together the half and half and the cocoa powder
until it is a smooth paste. Place over medium-high heat and bring the half-and-half
cocoa mixture and the vanilla
bean (if using) to the scalding point (the milk begins to foam up).
Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds from
the bean with the back of a knife, and mix the seeds back into the
half-and-half. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate
has completely melted and is smooth.
Meanwhile in a
stainless steel bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy
(about two minutes). You can do this with a wire whisk or I like
to use a hand mixer. Gradually pour the scalding
half-and-half mixture into the whipped egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep
whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. If any lumps do
form, strain the mixture first before heating.
Place the bowl
over a saucepan of simmering water and, stirring constantly with a
wooden spoon, cook until the custard thickens enough that it coats the
back of a spoon (170 degrees F) (77 degrees C). The term 'coat a
spoon' is a technique used mainly as a way to
test when an egg-based custard or sauce is done. A spoon, usually
wooden, is placed in the custard and, when the spoon is raised, the film
of custard on the back of the spoon will stay in place even when you
draw a line with your finger through the middle of the custard.
Immediately
remove the custard from the heat and continue to stir the custard for a
few minutes so it does not overcook. At this point stir in the
vanilla extract, if using. Cover and let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate the custard until it is completely
cold (several hours but preferably overnight).
Transfer the
cold custard to the container of your ice cream machine and
process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once made,
transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and store in the freezer.
If the ice cream becomes too hard place in the refrigerator for about
30 minutes before serving so it can soften.
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