Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Sorry for the lull in posts for the last couple months, but this summer slowly heated up, making it difficult to want to cook or bake with no air conditioning. On the bright side I did buy an ice cream maker to make the summer seem a little more bearable. I figured that I spend a considerable amount of money on ice cream, and I might as well buy the best quality ingredients and make my own. So I bought a Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker.

For my first try I made the ice cream with just milk and sugar, but next time I will probably try adding eggs for a custard base. I am waiting for the book called Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by Davd Lebovitz to be delivered from Amazon so I can become a serious ice cream creator.

I went to the Green Market and bought milk from Milk Thistle Farm. The woman who sold me my whole milk and heavy cream was very nice and wished me luck on my first batch of ice cream. Twenty-one dollars later (so expensive, but so worth it) I hopped on the subway uptown.



Here are the ingredients for simple chocolate ice cream wih almonds from the Cuisinart manual:
-1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-2/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1 1/2 cups whole milk
-3 1/4 cups heavy cream
-1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
-1 cup slivered almonds

To begin, place the cocoa powder and sugars in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Add the whole milk and whisk until cocoa powder and sugars are dissolved.
Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Turn machine on and pour mixture into freezer bowl and let mix until thickened about 25-35 minutes.
During the last 5 minutes, add the almonds.
For soft server, eat immediately. If you like your ice cream firmer, place in an air tight container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Enjoy the creamiest ice cream you can imagine. As it melts, it becomes a mousse-like consistency.