Glace au Chocolat

Glace' au Chocolat 

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 223.

Summer is here and what better way to celebrate it than with ice cream. Actually, any time is good for me when it comes to ice cream. I love it and remembered reading in one of Maida's books that it was her favorite dessert as well. 

This is a French ice cream which means that it is made with eggs. It is easy to make and does not require an ice cream freezer. There were several times during the making of this that I thought I had done something wrong but it turned out well. For one thing, she says that after bringing the mixture to a boil, it will become very thick. I didn't notice a thickness at all - in fact, mine was very thin, almost watery. I thought I had perhaps added too much water but after double-checking the recipe, it was correct. You will need to freeze the ice cream for at least 3 or 4 hours before it firms up but after it does, it is very hard and kind of difficult to remove from the pan. 

This is very rich and just a small portion will satisfy any serious chocolate lover. The type of chocolate you use is variable. I used semi-sweet just as it is listed in the recipe.

6 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

I used semi-sweet chocolate, chopping it in very small pieces. 

Beat the heavy cream until it holds a shape. I find the whisk attachment is the best for whipping cream. I always chill the bowl and the whisk - it only takes a few minutes.

The egg yolks should be beaten for several minutes until they turn a soft yellow color. 

The sugar and water is boiled for 3 minutes without stirring and then the chocolate is added to the mixture. This is where she says that it turns thick. It didn't thicken for me - it was very thin.

The chocolate mixture is added to the egg yolks gradually and then the whipped cream is added in small increments by folding it in. 

Doesn't it look great?

She recommends freezing it in a loaf pan or ice-cube tray (I thought this was odd at first, then realized she was referring to the old-fashioned types that had the perforated inserts laid in them). Cover it with foil and freeze. I kept testing it and it does not begin to harden until at least 3 hours, more like 4 hours. The next morning is was rock hard and I even had difficulties removing it with a scoop. It is best to let it sit for a while and soften a bit, otherwise it tends to flake off in slivers when you are trying to scoop it out. This is very rich and decadent!

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