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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Four Star French Chocolate Ice Cream

Four Star French Chocolate Ice Cream
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 222.

I made this on the 4th of July as a treat to myself to help relieve the depression over the drought and hot weather. I think it worked. Chocolate ice cream is probably my all-time favorite dessert and this is sooooo good! Very smooth, creamy and rich. Note: The original recipe printed in the book calls for double the ingredients listed here and it makes 4 quarts. She mentions using an ice cream churn. I think most people these days use the smaller 2 quart automatic ice cream makers. This is what I use so I've adjusted the recipe accordingly. There are many variations that you can add (liquor, nuts, coffee, etc.) It is delicious just as it is but I think I will add nuts the next time I make it.

3 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 oz. (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract 


Place 1 cup of the cream (reserve 2 1/2 cups) in a heavy saucepan. Add both chocolates, place over low heat, and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted.


Remove from the heat and beat briefly with a wire whisk, an electric mixer, or an egg beater until smooth. Set aside.


Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup becomes clear and comes to a boil. Wash down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water to remove unidissolved sugar granules. Increase the heat to high and let boil without stirring for 3 minutes.


Meanwhile, in the small bowl of an electric mixer, add salt to the eggs and beat for about 1 minute.


Add the syrup to the egg mixture gradually, in a thin stream, as you beat at high speed. Continue beating for several minutes until the mixture is pale and thick and forms a ribbon when the beaters are raised.


Lower the speed of the mixer and add the warm chocolate mixture. Beat only until mixed.


Add the vanilla and the reserved 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Mix until the mixture is smooth.


Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 


Pour cold mixture into your ice cream freezer, following the manufacturer's directions.

3 comments:

  1. That looks absolutely delicious, Phillip. I understand how you feel about the heat. My garden looks so haggard right now and it’s doubly depressing when you see all these other garden blogs with such lush, beautiful plants. All my stuff looks so sickly and crisp and I can’t stay ahead of the dead foliage on the daylilies.

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  2. Can't wait to try this! Anything to take my mind off how crispy the garden is becoming! It is indeed depressing. Are y'all under any water rationing? Not yet for us in Huntsville but outlying areas are.

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