Homemade Ice Cream! Chocolate Double-Malted Milk

It’s summer, and even though I don’t need an excuse to eat ice cream (I would sit inside watching it snow outside and still be chowing down some coffee ice cream) I now have an excuse to make it.  Also my dear seester just bought an ice-cream maker and suggested we make stuff “together” but actually on opposite sides of the country.

So, I made two ice cream flavors that I found in this book:

I love this book.  I bought it for like $3 and the recipes are great.  Plus it gives you fun historical facts: for example, I learned that Thomas Jefferson loved vanilla frozen custard, and that he was frustrated by the unavailability of vanilla “sticks” in America.  The other thing you need to make these recipes is an ice cream maker.  Here’s mine:

Pretty old school.  We’ve had it since I was very small.  Something to note before you get started:  you need to plan in advance!  You will probably need to freeze part of your ice cream maker for at least 24 hours, and the mixtures themselves need to chill for at least 4 hours (and up to 24 hours).  This is undoubtedly heartbreaking news for my sister, who is not a planner.

We’ll start with the Chocolate Double-Malted Milk ice cream.  Here are your ingredients:

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp. cold water

(scant) 2/3 c. sugar

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1½ c. heavy cream

1 c. plain malted milk powder (NOT chocolate, although I’m interested to test what that would taste like.  Mmm, super-chocolate)

1 ½ c. half-and-half or light cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

½-¾ c. chopped malted milk balls, frozen (to taste)

In a small bowl, stir the gelatin into the water.  Let stand, stirring one or twice, until the gelatin softens (5 min.)  In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and gelatin mixture.  Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking until the gelatin dissolves (your mixture will start out pretty thick and then turn pretty smooth—that’s how you know).  Remove from heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the malted milk powder into the half-and-half until the mixture is completely smooth.  Stir the half-and-half mixture and vanilla into the cocoa mixture until smooth.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until hot.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4½ hours and up to 24 hours (I did mine for about 6, just FYI).

Once the mixture is cold, pour it into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  When the ice cream is pretty solid, add the chopped malt balls.  Freeze the ice cream in a Tupperware for at least an hour before serving.

 And voila!  Homemade ice cream.  Delicious.  And it stays good for about 2 weeks, but I have a feeling ours won’t last that long.  Stay tuned for Strawberry-Banana Cheesecake Ice Cream!!