Where did the spring go? Seems we jumped directly into hot summer temperatures…and so, my mind goes directly to ice cream!! Lovely, cold, delicious creaminess! Perfect to not only cool you down but take your taste buds to wonderful places.
Store-bought ice cream is good and super quick, but in no way is it as much fun as making it yourself and with your kids. You also have the ability with homemade ice cream to control what actually goes into it. Take this Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ingredients label below into consideration. Now are you ready to make your own?
Skim milk, wafer (bleached wheat flour, isomalt*, maltitol*, caramel color, sorbitol*, palm oil, cocoa, corn flour, modified corn starch, salt, baking soda, natural flavor, soy lecithin), maltodextrin, polydextrose, sorbitol*, cream, stabilizer (mono and diglycerides, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, carrageenan), sucralose (Splenda brand), vitamin A palmitate, acesulfame potassium, natural flavor, artificial flavor.
*sensitive individuals may experience a laxative effect from excess consumption of this ingredient.
Today making ice cream is quite economical! You don’t have to buy an ice cream machine to make it, but you can get a machine for super cheap. Look at these models available in Chef Central. And if you order now (over $49), you can get 10% off and free shipping.
Zoku Ice Cream Maker $25.95
West Bend Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker $49.95
Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker $59.95
Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet & Ice Cream $89.95
Ready to be your own Ben & Jerry, creating your own wacky flavors? Here’s a great recipe to start with…and of course it is dark chocolate! You can also put the ice cream between 2 chocolate chip cookies for your own ice cream sandwiches.
This recipe is an original from Cuisinart, perfect for their machine. My only addition would be folding in small pieces of chocolate (please use real dark chocolate!), perhaps some toasted almonds and dried black cherries. Yum!
Deep Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups whole milk
2-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1-1/8 cups granulated sugar
1-1/8 cups Dutch process cocoa
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
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.
Stay cool and enjoy! Please share with us what your favorite ice cream concoction is and we’ll include on a follow up post! Send to Lisa at luxxchocolat@optonline.net.
~Lisa Mecray Rogers, award-winning Master Chocolatier and Founder ofLuxx Chocolat® xquisite artisan chocolate, ChocoVin Chocolate & Wine Tastings® and Luxx Academy du Chocolat offering classes with adults in mind, Ridgewood resident, recognized as one of 2014 and 2013 Best Chocolatiers & Confectioners in America. Luxx Chocolat offers unique handcrafted works of art. Nothing artificial, no preservatives, not mass produced.