Chocolate Ice Cream
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
40 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling, 3 hours chilling, and 2 hours freezing
Yield
Serves 8 (Makes 1 quart)
Ingredients
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate 1 ½ cups whole milk 1 ½ cups heavy cream ¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)4 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Before You Begin
Our favorite high-quality bittersweet chocolate is Callebaut from Belgium.
Instructions
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water. Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm (about 175 degrees), about 5 minutes. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
- Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until steam appears, foam subsides, and the mixture is slightly thickened or an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. (Do not boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle.) Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath; cool the custard to room temperature, stirring it occasionally to help it cool. Stir in the vanilla, then cover and refrigerate until an instant-read thermometer registers 40 degrees or lower, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Pour the custard into the ice cream machine canister and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, press plastic wrap flush against the surface, cover the container, and freeze the ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours. (The ice cream will keep for up to 2 days.)
Time
40 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling, 3 hours chilling, and 2 hours freezingYield
Serves 8 (Makes 1 quart)Ingredients
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Early in our search for the best ice cream recipe, it became apparent that “French-style” ice cream, made with a custard base relying on egg yolks, far surpasses "Philadelphia-style" ice cream, made without eggs. In texture as well as flavor, the egg yolk version simply had far more of the richness and creaminess that we look for in ice cream. As for cream in our ice cream recipe, we liked an equal amount of heavy cream and whole milk. Besides adding sweetness, we found sugar gives ice cream a smoother, softer, more "scoopable" end product.
Before You Begin
Our favorite high-quality bittersweet chocolate is Callebaut from Belgium.
Instructions
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water. Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm (about 175 degrees), about 5 minutes. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
- Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until steam appears, foam subsides, and the mixture is slightly thickened or an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. (Do not boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle.) Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath; cool the custard to room temperature, stirring it occasionally to help it cool. Stir in the vanilla, then cover and refrigerate until an instant-read thermometer registers 40 degrees or lower, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Pour the custard into the ice cream machine canister and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, press plastic wrap flush against the surface, cover the container, and freeze the ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours. (The ice cream will keep for up to 2 days.)
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