So, my husband has had a craving for good chocolate ice cream lately, so I decided to try to make some starting with my usual vanilla custard ice cream recipe. I figured I would have to melt some unsweetened chocolate and incorporate it into the heated mixture, etc. Then, the other night we were watching Food Network and Alton Brown came on with one if his shows where he tells you the science behind whatever it is he's making. What Luck!!! He's making gourmet ice cream!!! So, I get out my pen and paper and settle in to learn all the secrets to making great ice cream. I didn't write down all the science stuff, because I was too tired to concentrate that hard, but the resulting ice cream is FANTASTIC!!!! My husband was all over this stuff, but he couldn't eat a large quantity because it's very rich.
Here goes:
The basic formula is 9-8-3-2-1. 9 ounces of sugar - 8 egg yolks - 3 cups 1/2 & 1/2 - 2 tsp vanilla - 1 cup cream. If you want to make chocolate you will also have to have 1/2 cup cocoa.
Place 1/2 & 1/2 and cream in a saucepan and bring just to a boil, then turn off heat.
Put egg yolks in a bowl ans whisk until they are light and creamy. Slowly whisk in sugar until it reaches the ribbon stage (there was some science involved here. . . ).
Temper hot cream into egg mixture, then put back into saucepan and heat on low, stirring frequently, until it reaches 170-175 degrees. (there was some science to this temperature, but I can't remember what it is). Put into a bowl and let cool for 1/2 hour. Add vanilla and refrigerate. Once mixture is cooled all the way down, put it into your ice cream freezer. . .
For the chocolate, add the cocoa powder to the 1 cup cream in the saucepan and blend well before adding the 1/2 & 1/2 and heating.
Alton also said you could use 1 tsp peppermint oil and chunked up chocolate/mint candies (like Andes mints) to make mint chip ice cream. I'm trying that next!!!!!
Here goes:
The basic formula is 9-8-3-2-1. 9 ounces of sugar - 8 egg yolks - 3 cups 1/2 & 1/2 - 2 tsp vanilla - 1 cup cream. If you want to make chocolate you will also have to have 1/2 cup cocoa.
Place 1/2 & 1/2 and cream in a saucepan and bring just to a boil, then turn off heat.
Put egg yolks in a bowl ans whisk until they are light and creamy. Slowly whisk in sugar until it reaches the ribbon stage (there was some science involved here. . . ).
Temper hot cream into egg mixture, then put back into saucepan and heat on low, stirring frequently, until it reaches 170-175 degrees. (there was some science to this temperature, but I can't remember what it is). Put into a bowl and let cool for 1/2 hour. Add vanilla and refrigerate. Once mixture is cooled all the way down, put it into your ice cream freezer. . .
For the chocolate, add the cocoa powder to the 1 cup cream in the saucepan and blend well before adding the 1/2 & 1/2 and heating.
Alton also said you could use 1 tsp peppermint oil and chunked up chocolate/mint candies (like Andes mints) to make mint chip ice cream. I'm trying that next!!!!!
