Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote

Dark chocolate ice cream amplified with honey and sea salt is a bit of a frozen revelation. Expect intensely rich and bold flavours in this double chocolate ice cream, combined with a mellow sweetness and an enviably creamy texture. Best of all, it can be scooped straight from the freezer - there's waiting around for it to soften first.

Prep Time30

Churning20

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Worldwide

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

1 1.1litre ice cream churner preferred (but can be made by hand)

Ingredients

250 ml Whole milk
150 ml Runny honey
6 Egg yolks large, free-range
1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
100 g Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) or higher cocoa solids for a more intense flavour
30 g Cocoa powder
1¼ teaspoon Sea salt flakes
250 ml Double cream or equivalent with approx 48% fat

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the custard base

Crush the salt in a pestle and mortar.
Gently heat the milk and honey in a medium-sized pan to melt the honey. Continue to heat to scalding, but don’t let it boil. Stir frequently.
Meanwhile use electric beaters to beat the egg yolks until pale and thick (about 3 minutes).
Pour the hot milk onto the egg mixture slowing, beating constantly.
Next, pour the custard into the saucepan and cook on a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Take off the heat and add the salt, cocoa powder (sieved) and the chocolate. Stir or whisk with a handheld whisk until melted and combined.
Strain through a sieve into a clean bowl.
Cover with a layer of clingfilm (to stop a skin forming), let cool, then chill for at least 6 hours (but preferably overnight).
When ready to churn, pour in the double cream and stir well. Do not whip the double cream first.

Churning by machine

Pour the custard base into the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once fully churned either serve straight away (soft-set) or transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several hours until firm.

Churning by hand

Pour the ice cream into a large freezer-proof bowl, cover and put it in the freezer for 1-1 ½ hours. The sides should be beginning to freeze, but the centre will be soft and slushy.
Remove from the freezer and use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform. Cover and place back in the freezer.
Repeat this process 6-8 more times at ¾ – 1 hour intervals. The more times you are able to repeat this process, the better the texture of this dark chocolate ice cream will be.
Once fully churned transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several more hours until firm.

Notes

When making any homemade ice cream always ensure both the churning bowl of your ice cream maker and the custard base are sufficiently frozen/ chilled before churning begins.
If churning by hand, it’s best to make the custard base and let it chill overnight before starting the churning process the next morning. This leaves plenty of time to fit in 6-8 churns with electric beaters.
And if churning by hand, set a timer between each churn to ensure it is not left too long between each churn.
Put the container that you intend to store the churned ice cream in into the freezer before churning begins. Putting the ice cream into a chilled container rather than one at room temperature means the ice cream will melt less at the point of transfer.
Cover the top of the ice cream with parchment to help stop ice crystals from forming in the freezer.
Eat within 2 weeks to enjoy this double chocolate ice cream at its prime. It’s still safe to eat after this time but the flavour and texture may begin to deteriorate.
Provided your churner can handle the extra volume the recipe can be doubled.
Make the ice cream even more intense by using chocolate with an even higher cocoa solid content.

Storage instructions

Homemade ice cream should always be stored in the coldest part of the freezer – that’s usually the bottom (hot air rises).

To avoid freezer burn lay a sheet of greaseproof paper over the top of the ice cream, even if it is stored in a container with a lid.

The shelf life of homemade ice cream is short. Aim to eat it up within a couple of weeks. When freshly churned any ice crystals present in the ice cream are small, but over time these grow, so the consistency does deteriorate over time.

Nutrition