Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.
• Gradually whisk in milk, stir until smooth.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Gradually whisk in sugar, then continue whisking 1 minute, until completely blended.
• Add the cream, vanilla, and salt; whisk.
• Add the chocolate mixture; blend well.
• Cover, chill, and freeze according to ice cream maker's directions.

Steps:

• Bring whole milk and 1/2 c sugar to 175 degrees in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat remaining 1/4 c sugar with yolks until mixture turns pale yellow and thickens, about 2 minutes. Beat in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth.
• Slowly beat 1/2 c hot milk from pan into yolk mixture. Pour this mixture back into saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook this mixture over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until custard reaches 175°F on a thermometer and coats the back of a spoon.
• Remove saucepan from heat; strain custard into a plastic bowl with a lid. Add chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the hot custard and stir constantly until chocolate melts. (note: I grated my chocolate instead of chopping it so it would combine easier.) Whisk in heavy cream and vanilla.
• Cool custard to room temperature. Seal container and refrigerate until custard is cold, about 4 to 8 hours. (Note: I usually make the ice cream mixture the night before, then chill overnight and make the ice cream in the ice cream maker first thing in the morning, that way I know its cold enough!).
• Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze as directed (I have a cuisinart and it takes 25 minutes).

Steps:

• Place milk, cream, chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently, until chocolate has melted and mixture begins to simmer. The mixture will separate into a dark milky layer, with a lighter foamy layer on top.
• Meanwhile beat egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy.
• Add quarter to half of the hot chocolate mixture to the eggs, whisking to avoid egg mix setting. If lumps occur, strain through cheesecloth.
• Return egg mixture to saucepan, and cook over low heat until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool, before chilling a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight. To avoid a skin forming, place cling wrap on top of the custard.
• Whip the mixture in a chilled bowl until light and fluffy. It should resemble a runny chocolate mousse.
• If using an ice cream maker, churn according to your machine instructions.
• To make without an ice cream maker, place in freezer for an hour, until edges are set but the centre is frozen. Remove and whip a high speed in a chilled bowl. Repeat until the desired consistency is achieved, around 2 to 3 times.
• This ice cream will freeze harder than commercial preparations. To serve after the first day, remove from freezer 20 minutes early to soften slightly.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream over medium-low heat. With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise; use the blunt edge of the knife to scrape out the "seeds" of the vanilla bean.
• Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Simmer the milk/cream mixture over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard it or rinse and reserve for another use.
• Combine the sugar, cocoa, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium bowl; using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until thickened like mayonnaise.
• Measure out 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the cocoa mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until completely incorporated. Stir the chopped chocolate into the saucepan with the hot milk/cream. Stir the egg mixture into the hot milk/cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to resemble a chocolate pudding. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the chocolate mixture, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a medium pot heat 1 cup of heavy cream with cocoa; whisk well to ensure the cocoa gets integrated properly. When cream is bubbling at the edges, remove from heat and add dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds then give it a good stir until it's all incorporated. Add remaining cup of cream to pot, stir to combine, then pour the contents into a medium sized non-metal bowl, scraping out the pot as well as you can, and place a strainer over the bowl. Place the pot back on the stove, and add the cup of milk, 1/2 cup of sugar and your salt. I prefer more salt (1/2 tsp.) because I think it makes the chocolate taste amazing, but if it's your first go and you are not yet a devotee of salt-to-chocolate ratios, try the 1/4 tsp and then tweak your second batch to taste. Heat the milk and sugar gently on the stove while you get your egg yolks ready. Whisk the egg yolks together and then grab the pot from the stove. SLOWLY drizzle warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time (this is called tempering) until everything's all combined. Then dump the liquid back into the pot. Stir constantly (so you don't cook the eggs) with a wooden or other heat-safe spoon or spatula over medium heat until the eggs thicken a bit, into a custard. You'll know it's done when you can hold up the spoon and run your finger through the egg-milk mixture and the line you drew with your finger stays there. (Like this.) Pour custard through the strainer into the bowl. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine the chocolatey goodness. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl, literally touching the entire surface of the ice cream base. (This means you won't get any nasty "skin" on top of the liquid.) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours then prepare according to your ice cream maker's instructions.