Chocolate Ice Cream

You can make gourmet ice cream recipes at home. Making homemade ice cream can be a labor of love but in the end it’s all worth it. This recipe for chocolate ice cream makes the perfect summer treat and fits any romantic occasion. To make your own chocolate ice cream at home all you need is cream, sugar, salt, chocolate squares, cocoa, and vanilla. When making chocolate ice cream one of the key things to remember is to whisk the mixture carefully to achieve a smooth and evenly textured ice cream, and to freeze the smooth mixture quickly. The formation of ice crystals is the most common problem most people encounter when making ice cream at home. Ice crystals create a grainy ice cream.

Mixing the ice cream with a whisk 20 minutes after it is placed in the freezer is one of the tricks to achieve a smooth and even consistency. To eliminate ice crystals, do this three or four times during the freezing process. Chill all utensils and ingredients before using. Be accurate in your measurements. Too much sugar will cause the ice cream to harden and too little will prevent the mixture from freezing. Once it freezes the mixture will increase in size so do not fill the container. You want room to whisk the mixture around while it is in the process of freezing and your more than a half way in finishing this simple gourmet dessert.

Ideally, to achieve a fluffy fullness that makes it smooth and creamy and easier to scoop out ice cream should have 20 to 50 percent air pumped into it. Timing is also crucial to make a successful ice cream--the faster the freeze the smoother the ice cream will be. Never allow the ice cream to melt and then freeze again. It will turn into a mess. When freezing the ice cream put the freezer on the coldest setting. Ideally, the ice cream should be stored between negative 5 and 0 degrees F.

Ingredients

1 quart thin cream

1 cup sugar

Few grains salt

1½ squares unsweetened chocolate

¼ cup prepared cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Melt the chocolate in saucepan with a little warm water. Add cream, sugar, salt, cocoa and vanilla extract to this. Freeze.

2. After 20 minutes churn ice cream to get a smooth consistency. Do this twice of three times.

3. Serve cold in an ice cream bowl.