Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream with Shaved Chocolate

While it is happily cooling down a bit here in Los Angeles, it's still hot.  We often spend our afternoons indoors crafting and making things in the kitchen to pass the heat of the day away.  Sometimes recipes come out of it, like this day, and I hope you love it as much as we do!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Shaved ChocolateRecipe Makes 1 quart of heavenly frozen fare

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups organic whole milk

1 1/2 cups organic heavy cream

2 large fresh, cold eggs (see note 1)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla (see note 2)

A smidge of sea salt - you know, what you can grab with your thumb and finger

3/4 cup dark chocolate, shaved

Ice cream maker of your choice.

Note 1:  This is an uncooked ice cream.  If you are squeamish about consuming raw eggs, you can buy pasteurized eggs such as Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs, you can pasteurize them yourself, or you can use them as is.  The eggs should be very fresh and very cold.  I used fresh organic eggs from my grocer and did not pasteurize them.

Note 2:  If you have Tahitian Vanilla, I would recommend using it as the aroma and flavor is amazing.  If you have Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, I would also recommend using that as the taste is wonderful and the little bean specks are fun.  If you have neither, use what you have as long as it is real vanilla.  I've made this with Tahitian Vanilla and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste because I had them on hand (and I'm not paid to say that, FYI).

Directions:

• Using a bread knife if you have one, shave the chocolate slowly into fine pieces.  Measure and set aside.  Lick fingers.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they are light and fluffy-- about 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and sugar slowly to combine.
• Add salt, heavy cream, and whole milk, and blend again.  Cover and let chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 
• Make the ice cream according to your ice cream maker instructions.  In the last 5 minutes, add shaved chocolate.  Transfer to a container and freeze to harden.  

If you want to eat it immediately, the ice cream will be soft and delicious.  The photos above and below are after the ice cream chilled for an hour in my freezer.  I used one of my loaf pans because it is much easier to scoop from.  As Ro said, "It smells yummy Momma!"  

If you want to make Mint Ice Cream with Shaved Chocolate, decrease the vanilla to one teaspoon and add one teaspoon of peppermint extract.  Happy Making!

Hettie