Anybody that knows me the tiniest bit knows how much I love ice cream. Alex got me an ice cream maker for Christmas that I could use in the dorm (with 12 oz. bowls), and my dad got our family a quart sized ice cream maker for at home..which no one actually used up until now. I’m planning on taking it with me when I move into the apartment; I’m obviously the only one that will use it!
I swoon to think of all the toppings I could use for this.. I first tried it with some butterscotch syrup (fantastic!), and I think some fresh berries would be pure heaven. Maybe some Reese’s? Or just a swirl of peanut butter? Oreos would always be good.. I’m going to have fun with this batch – I have a whole quart! But then again, I also have a family that loves ice cream just as much as I do. I’ll have to make more after tonight!
adapted from The Perfect Scoop
2 ¼ cups half-and-half (I used fat free..it was all they had!)
6 T cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli’s 86% bar and double chocolate bittersweet chocolate chips)
1 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 t vanilla
¼ t instant espresso powderWhisk the cream, cocoa powder, sugar and salt together in a large sauce pan. Heat until it comes to a full boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and whisk in the dark chocolate until completely melted. Add the milk, vanilla and instant espresso powder. Blend for 30 seconds with either a blender or an immersion blender until smooth to prevent any grittiness from the chocolate. Place into a medium bowl and chill in the fridge for about 4 hours. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to its instructions. Freeze until firm, about four hours.