Ironically, it’s usually the most popular and easiest recipes that are HARDEST to nail! you know? everyone has had these foods sooo many times that by now, they already have a certain taste they enjoy.
Chocolate ice cream is no different. Its right on top of the list of popular desserts amongst kids, toddlers,and adults. Which is why I was super careful before putting this recipe up. I wanted to get it JUST right! The perfect balance of sweet, and bitter that comes through from chocolate and the smoothness to die for.
Here you are , with a step by step break down, and a few pearls of wisdom to make the BEST Ice cream.
STEPS to make the perfect silky smooth Chocolate Ice cream
Ingredients
The ingredients, as you can see are super basic! But before I move ahead, here are a couple of things I wanted to highlight.
Cocoa Powder
Using the right Cocoa powder makes or breaks a recipe. The Cocoa powder I use for this recipe is specifically the Dutch processed Cocoa powder. I won’t go into too much detail. All you need to know is that Dutch-style cocoas are alkaline and impart a more intense color to the recipe. They have a flavor that’s earthy and deep. The brand that I personally use is called Hintz. Its a German company and is easily available here in the Middle East. The other brand that is also easily available worldwide, is the Cadbury’s Cocoa powder. Both of these cocoa powders are great for pretty much any type of cooking or baking. If you can’t find these specific brands, just look for words like “Dutch processed”, “Dark” or , “Alkalized”. IF the labels read any of these things, you have the right cocoa powder.
Chocolate
The chocolate that you want to use is totally up to you. If you prefer milk chocolate, go ahead and select that. You can opt for bitter dark chocolate or for a more balanced flavor, use semi sweet chocolate, like I did. You can use block or choco chips, really anything you can get your hands on. If you want to add more finesse to your ice cream, go for Belgian dark chocolate. It will instantly elevate your ice cream to luxurious levels.
Step 1 – Making the chocolate Ganache
For the ganache, we are going to add milk, a little bit of cream, salt, coffee and cocoa powder in a saucepan. I let it simmer for 4 to 5 mins at medium to low flame. The thing with a good ganache is patience. Don’t increase the heat or else you’ll end up splitting your ganache or it may become too grainy. The salt and coffee enhance and bring out the chocolate flavour even more. Once you have a smooth chocolate sauce ready, reduce the flame to low. If you are still doubtful that your sauce has lumps, just pass it through a strainer and put it it back in the saucepan just to be safe. Then add your chocolate chips. It will take roughly 5 to 7 mins to fully melt. Give it time. And make sure your ganache turns out smooth and nice. Once your happy with your ganache, turn off the flame and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let it sit out till it gets to a room temeprature. NEVER KEEP HOT GANACHE IN THE FRIDGE DIRECTLY. Sorry for yelling ok 😛 Keep your ganache in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours after it has cooled down to room temperautre. Sometimes Ganache can split or become grainy. It happens to the best of us. And that will be problematic for a good ice cream. But don’t worry, if it does happen, here are a couple of things you can do to bring it back.
How to fix a split or grainy ganache instantly
If your ganache has just split, add warm milk 1 tbsp at a time and whisk constantly. (NOT HOT , just warm). But try not to use more than 7 tbsp.Sometimes ganache cools down to form a grainy ganache. In that case, place your ganache in the microwave for 30 secs, and whisk. And then another 30 secs and whisk again. Your ganache will most probably come back together. IF not, you can do another 30 sec increment again. Then again cover the ganache, cool it down and refrigerate.
Step 2 – Making the Ice cream base
After it has been 4 to 5 hours since your ganache has been in the fridge, move on to your heavy cream. We only used a very little amount of cream for the ganache, we have almost 500ml still left. Bring out the remaining cream and whip it till it becomes light and fluffy. Bring out the ganache and fold almost all of it it into the cream. I left a little bit of ganache to use as a topping for later. After folding the ganache in, transfer the ice cream base into a container, ideally with a lid. Cover the ice cream with a cling wrap such that it touches the ice cream base and no air touches the icecream. THEN add the lid and freeze overnight. Serve with any toppings of your choice, like chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce or nuts!
How long can the ice cream last in the freezer?
I always mention the shelf life whenever I make homemade ice cream. Home made ice creams don’t have preservatives and are not very high in fat content. So they don’t last as long in the freezer as a commercially produced ice cream does. The longer your ice cream stays in the freezer, the more hard it will get over time. Ideal freezing timeline for any home made ice cream is around 3 weeks. But I’m sure You’ll finish it wayyy before that! I have faith in you!
How to make this Chocolate Ice cream completely vegan aka guilt free
I know that half of the charm of making your own ice cream at home is the ability to control the ingredients. Here are substitutions you can make to make a dairy free, sugar free vegan ice cream
Milk – Use nut milks or soy milk instead of regular milk. Ideally almond milk or coconut milk are best.Cream – Instead of regular heavy cream, use coconut cream. Chill it in the fridge and remove the heavy thick layer of cream on top of the can and whip it in a cold steal bowl. It will whip up beautifully just like a regular whipping cream.Sugar – Use coconut sugar instead of regular sugar. Chocolate – Use 100% Dark chocolate instead of semi sweet one.Use cocoa powder which is gluten free, like Hintz
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