This chocolate ice cream recipe is from Tom Douglas from Seattle. It’s got a rich, deep, chocolate flavor and a smooth, creamy texture.
A few weeks ago, my beloved spin coach came to town to teach a spin seminar at our rink. I am lucky if I see her once a year, so I cherish the time with her.
She came to my house to have dinner, and she noted that her nephew worked in the kitchen along with famed Seattle chef Tom Douglas. I remembered that I owned a cookbook by Tom and even visited his bakery, Dahlia Bakery, when I visited Seattle over 10 years ago.
After my coach returned home, I pulled out my cookbook and started sifting through the recipes to see what I could try. Since both my spin coach and I are ice cream fiends, this frozen chocolate custard seemed perfect.
While the custard base was easy to make, the chocolate didn’t melt completely and left some small, gritty textures throughout the ice cream. I would recommend actually melting the chocolate over the heat to assure that you’re not left with a sandy ice cream. This ice cream is supposed to be smooth and creamy, unlike one with crushed up cookies or graham crackers.
I’ll be honest – this wasn’t my favorite chocolate ice cream (this is), but it was good to try.
Husband’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 3 out of 5
Frozen chocolate custard
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (about 1 cup or 170 grams) bittersweet chocolate chopped finely
- ¼ cup (3 ounces or 90 grams) honey
- 1 and ½ cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (8 ounces or 230 grams) heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks save the whites for a meringue or frosting
- ½ cup (3 and ½ ounces or 100 grams) brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped chocolate and the honey. Add a fine meshed sieve or strainer on top and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the yolks, brown sugar, and the cocoa. Whisk until this becomes a pale yellow color.
- In a medium sized saucepan, add ¾ cup of the milk with the heavy cream set over medium heat. Scald the mixture so it begins to steam and little bubbles start appearing near the edges. Remove from the heat.
- Slowly stream some of the scalded milk mixture (about ½ cup to 1 cup) into the bowl with the egg yolks. Make sure you whisk constantly to prevent your egg yolks from scrambling.
- Now pour the entire egg yolk mixture into the pan with the scalded milk. Turn the heat to medium and whisk constantly while the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of your spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Pour the hot mixture through the fine mesh sieve into the large bowl with the chocolate and the honey. Allow the mixture to sit for about a minute. Then use a rubber spatula to melt the chocolate completely. Note: My chocolate didn't fully melt, so I recommend pouring this back into your saucepan so your chocolate doesn't have small unmelted bits, which will produce a sandy or gritty texture.
- Now add the remaining ¼ cup of milk, the vanilla, and the salt. Mix well.
- Allow the custard to come to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
- The following day, churn the ice cream according to your manufacturer's instructions. Place the ice cream in a freezer-safe container and freeze at least another 4 hours or longer before enjoying.