Chocolate ice cream lovers will adore this triple chocolate ice cream – it’s soft, creamy, and stays scoopable in the freezer!
One of the big problems with homemade ice cream is that it often hardens too much in the freezer. Because they lack preservatives to keep them soft and scoopable, homemade ice cream tends to freeze solid. I usually have to wait (way too long) before I can scoop out portions of ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth. I have solid arm muscles, but there are days when even hardened ice cream is too difficult for me!
Enter this triple chocolate ice cream. My skating teammate and team mom S told me about this triple chocolate ice cream during the holiday show late last year. She sent me the recipe and told me about a few alterations she made to the recipe. I followed her instructions (and recommendations) to a tee.
After 24 hours in the freezer, the ice cream stayed soft and scoopable. S and I concluded that it was a combination from the egg yolks to the milk fat (in the chocolate and in the heavy cream/half-and-half) that prevented the ice cream base from getting too hard. I’m happy regardless of the reasoning. This may, in fact, become my new favorite ice cream recipe. And if you know me, I consume ice cream at every chance I get.
Both S and I got away with using only 7 egg yolks, and we each left out the chopped candy pieces. Feel free to follow the original recipe if you choose, but I agreed with S that the minor revisions she made were perfectly fine. I mean, look – I gave this recipe a perfect 5-star rating! What more can you ask for? Well, other than more ice cream…?
Husband’s rating: 5 out of 5 (perfect score!)
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 4 (perfect score!)
Triple chocolate ice cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking squares chopped finely (I used Trader Joe's Pound Plus dark chocolate)
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate baking squares chopped finely (I used Trader Joe's Pound Plus dark chocolate)
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 egg yolks I used 7
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract please do not use imitation
- pinch salt
- 4 milk chocolate candy bars (about 1 and ½ cups) chopped (I did not use)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan set over medium low heat, add ½ cup of the half and half, and the semi-sweet and unsweetened chunks. Stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the mixture is uniform and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. (Alternatively, you can heat everything up in a microwave and heat in 30 second increments. Be careful that the chocolate doesn't scorch and seize up.)
- In a separate medium sized saucepan set over medium heat, add the remainder of the half and half. Warm until it's hot but not boiling. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix the egg yolks on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Mix well until the mixture is uniform. Add the warmed half and half and mix well (no need to wash the saucepan it was in - you will use it in the next step). Add the melted chocolate/half and half mixture and mix well.
- Transfer the contents to the medium saucepan (that you originally heated the half and half in - no need to wash the pan). Allow the mixture to heat, and continue to stir until you see some small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Do not allow the mixture to boil. The mixture should thicken, almost to the consistency of pudding.
- Turn the stove off, and transfer the mixture to a large bowl (I recommend setting a strainer over your bowl to catch any cooked egg bits). Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and the salt. Mix well.
- Allow the mixture to come to room temperature before chilling in your refrigerator for 24 hours. I do not recommend churning your ice cream before 24 hours in case the ice cream base isn't cold enough.
- Churn your ice cream in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. If desired. fold in the chocolate candy chunks at the end.
- Transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover, and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight before enjoying.