ICOTW: Delectable Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Please don't let the slightly long instructions deter you from making this ice cream.  If you enjoy chocolate, especially dark chocolate, own an ice cream maker, and aren't afraid of a little stove time to get some delicious ice cream, you should most definitely make this.  Also, I, personally, would recommend adding an ice cream maker to any wedding registry (or baby registry if you are gusty and sensible because, duh, that baby will probably like ice cream some day).  People say you won't use the ice cream maker...but I do.  A lot.  It wasn't on our registry but still got one for our wedding.  It took me maybe 4 years to finally use it and then maybe a few more years to warm up to it, but since then it's heavily used in the summer as evidenced by these posts.  I like store bought ice cream (we have some in our freezer right now too) but there is something about homemade, trying different flavors, and knowing you can make it yourself, if you so choose, that is so wonderful.  

About 2 seconds after I took the below picture that top scoop of ice cream fell into my hand.  It's a good thing I'm better at making ice cream than I am at scooping it!  Also, I might blame the heat a little for that one?

Delectable Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
yield: ~10 servings
Ingredients
-5-6 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped*
-1 cup skim or 1% milk**
-2 egg yolks
-2 cups heavy cream/heavy whipping cream
-¼ cup + 1½ TB dark cocoa powder (regular chocolate powder would work too!)
-2/3 cup sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-½ coarse salt
optional: mix-ins!  See my chocolate related note below but feel free to use others too!

Directions
1) Chop (hammer) chocolate.  Set aside.  Pour the milk into a medium-large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the two egg yolks and set aside.
2) In a large saucepan, whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar.  Over medium heat, cook just until boiling then remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the chopped chocolate in 3 parts, making sure each is melted before the next is added.
3) Once all the chocolate is melted, add ~ ¼ cup to the bowl with the eggs and whisk together well.  (If you dump in all the chocolate you will cook the eggs so just a little bit!)  Add the rest of the chocolate, whisking constantly.  Combine well.
4) Return the chocolate egg mixture to the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat.
5) Stir the chocolate into the bowl of milk. If you accidentally cooked some egg you can pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over the milk bowl but hopefully you don't have that problem (I didn't.)  Stir in the vanilla and salt and then let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least a few hours.
6) When ready, pour into ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions.  Once the ice cream maker is done, transfer the ice cream back to a container and add any mix-ins.  Freeze for a few hours, until more solid.

Our Thoughts
Oh man, this is some rich ice cream.  I did a decent amount of taste testing along the way - right off the stove, before it was poured in the ice cream maker, after it came out of the ice cream maker, and knew I was dealing with some pretty rich stuff.  Then we had cones after a (not really) hot day of playing in the backyard pool and oh man, it was rich.  It was like eating a really rich chocolate bar in ice cream form.  So if that is your jam, you will definitely appreciate this ice cream.  Matt claims to not like dark chocolate and still had no problem finishing his cone.  Luke, well he's smart and likes all ice cream and so devoured this too.  It was so rich I don't know that I'll do a cone again because it was a lot.  But definitely, definitely delicious. 

*I used (2) 72% Ghirardelli bars (found above the chocolate chips at Target) that had been in the freezer so I just took a hammer to both while still wrapped and that was close enough to chopping!  Two bars will be 7 ounces so just hold back a little bit to use as a mix-in!
**Do not worry that your ice cream will not be rich enough by not using whole milk.  Notice the 2 cups of heavy cream and all the chocolate.  Richness is NOT a problem here!

Source: Love From the Oven

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In the summer I aim to make a different homemade ice cream each week and report back here, good or bad!  I call it "Ice Cream of the Week".  You can follow the "ICOTW" tag to see them all chronologically or go to my "Recipes" page and scroll down to the "Ice Cream/Frozen Things" section for my favorites!