It seems like every day, I hear more and more people talking about summer coming to an end. Are you happy about this, or sad? Personally, I wouldn't mind some temperatures in the 80s, versus the upper 90s and 100s, but I don't really feel like summer is almost over. I really love summer, and if it weren't a season, I would be really unhappy.
You know what else I would be really unhappy without? Chocolate. So today, we're celebrating two of my favorite things... summer and chocolate.
Before summer ends, before the temps drop, before you feel like drinking hot lattes instead of iced lattes, there's something you need to do. Pull out your ice cream maker and make one last batch of ice cream (or more than one!) And make that batch be this:
A lot of chocolate ice creams make me feel like I'd rather just be eating chocolate, because they don't really taste like true, rich, full-bodied chocolate. This ice cream doesn't disappoint me like that. If dark chocolate were frozen and creamy, it would be this ice cream. It's dark, it's velvety smooth, and when it's been out of the freezer for just a few minutes, it's like spooning up a bowl of cold chocolate mousse. It's so luxurious, you'll just want to melt in it.
Please, go make yourself a bowl of this. Maybe pair it with a scoop of mint Oreo, caramel, or cherry chip ice cream if you're feelin' extra. The end.
Recipe Card
Chocolate Ice Cream
This decadent, rich, and dark Chocolate Ice Cream is the ultimate for a true chocolate lover.
- Yield: about 1 quart 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided
- ¼ cup dutch-process cocoa
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup milk*
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of heavy cream with cocoa powder, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, then immediatley reduce heat to keep at a simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly at simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until all of the chocolate melts and the mixture is totally smooth. Stir in remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and pour the mixture into a large bowl. Set a strainer on top.
- In the same saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, and salt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk together the egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking non-stop. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and return to heat. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the saucepan with a heat-proof spatula constantly, until a custard forms that is thick enough to coat your spatula. Alternatively, use the wooden spoon test. (Dip the spoon in the custard and run your finger along one side of it. If your finger leaves a clear path through the custard on the spoon, it's cooked enough.)
- Pour the custard through the strainer into the chocolate mixture and stir everything together until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool, stirring frequently, and then cover and place in the fridge to chill thoroughly (preferably overnight). Remove from fridge and whisk if needed to make pourable. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Store ice cream in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly on top of the ice cream and the container lid placed over.
Notes
*I used 2 percent milk, so while I can definitely say that you can use any type with a higher fat content, I don't know how well a lower fat content will work.
Recipe Adapted From:
The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz
Tamara
Just made this today I have the kitchen aid ice cream maker so I didn't need to freeze it for 8 hours. Butbi loved it. Turned out amazing
Donna
Have you made this using sugar substitute like xylitol or stevia? What would be the amount of sweetener?
alexandra
I haven't actually tried, so I honestly have no reference point for how it would work, and if so, how much you would need. Sorry!
Annie
I made the custard but then wondered....does this recipe involve an ice-cream maker? I wasn't sure how to just refrigerate it and freeze it according to the recipe.
alexandra
It does. I just realized that it should say "freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions" (in step 3). I'm so sorry that I didn't make this clear before! There are ways to make ice cream without an ice cream maker, and although I haven't tried them, you might look into that if you don't have one. David Lebovitz has a good post on that here.
Rachel
This recipe looks delicious!! Definitely gonna try this out! Also, where did you get that cute silverware?!
alexandra
It's without a doubt one of my favorite ice creams ever! :) The silverware is from Target, but I got it last summer!
Stefanie
Is it possible to make this without eggs? Or could you use a flax egg? Looks delicious!
alexandra
Unfortunately, the flax egg wouldn't work at all the same in this recipe. My thought is that you could make this as a Philadelphia-style ice cream (i.e. without the eggs completely), although I haven't tested it. If you want to try it, I would combine the milk, sugar, and salt in step 1 and boil along with the cream and cocoa. You can then skip step 2 and skip the straining in step 3, and otherwise follow the recipe as written.
Sherry
I made this ice cream over the weekend, magnificent! I used the 2% milk also. I think it's the richest most chocolate ice cream I've ever had. My husband said it was "too" chocolate-y. As if!
brighteyedbaker
So glad you tried it, liked it, and let me know! There is NO SUCH THING as too chocolate-y. Anyone who thinks there is is crazy, right?! ;)
Rebecca Elliott
That is some sexy looking ice cream! Can't wait to try it! Thanks for posting.
brighteyedbaker
Oooh good word! I think it's pretty deserving of that compliment. :) Thanks!
Julia {The Roasted Root}
Celebrating summer and chocolate sounds like something I would like to do every single day no matter the season! I share your sentiments about chocolate ice cream...if it's going to be chocolate flavor, it needs to reaaaaaally be chocolatey and smooth and creamy and rich as can be. Your ice cream definitely looks like it fulfills all those criteria!! Your photographs definitely have my taste buds craving what you've got going on in that pretty green bowl! Have a great weekend and thanks for a true chocolate ice cream recipe!
brighteyedbaker
Thank you for the back-up as to what good Chocolate Ice Cream is! And I can assure you... this qualifies :)
Julia
Beautiful ice-cream! I recently discovered I have an icecream-maker I didn't know I had, so I am trying all sorts of recipes.
brighteyedbaker
An ice-cream maker you didn't know you had? How does that happen???! I'm shocked, but lucky you. :)
Jackie
I love summer too! Lovely ice cream post and great fotos.
Jackie
brighteyedbaker
Thank you so much!
Riley
Unfortunately at this point, I think I hate the heat more than I love summer produce... But I could sure go for a scoop of great chocolate ice cream!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I'm not ready for summer to end either, and I'm a chocoholic too so this ice cream is perfect for me!
Sandra Rose
Your pictures make my tongue salivate! Beautiful!
brighteyedbaker
Thanks mom :D
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty
I *love* a good homemade chocolate ice cream and your gorgeous photos make me want to dig in.
Here in Seattle our summer *just* started two months ago, I am definitely not ready to let it go!
brighteyedbaker
Aww thanks! Two months?! I bet you're not ready; I'm not and I feel like it's been summer here for much longer!