Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I think this is my favorite ice cream ever.  I know that is quite a statement, but once you try this ice cream, I think you’ll agree with me.  I have proclaimed my love for the chocolate and peanut butter several times, and this is another delicious way to enjoy it.  This ice cream was very easy to make, and wasn’t even made using a custard.  You just boil the half and half, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan, and then take it off the heat and add in the peanut butter.  It doesn’t get much easier than that!

The balance of chocolate and peanut butter was perfect- neither was too overpowering.  I decided to make some peanut butter patties to mix in the ice cream for add added punch of peanut butter flavor.  I actually made a double batch of the peanut butter patties because the original recipe didn’t seem like it made enough.  That was most definitely a wise decision 🙂  I think the best thing about homemade ice cream is that you have complete control of the mix-ins.  Store-bought ice cream doesn’t usually have enough for me.  I always want more chocolate chips, cookie dough, fudge chunks, etc., and this way I get to use as much as I want.  I also want to try this ice cream with the fudge ripple mixed in, which was one of the recipe suggestions.  My only hard decision now is deciding whether to make another batch of this or try another recipe from this wonderful ice cream book!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2 cups half-and-half

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup smooth peanut butter

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up).  Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Peanut Butter Patties

6 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Mix together the peanut butter and sugar in a small bowl.  Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap.  Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, about ½ teaspoon each, and drop them onto the dinner plate.  Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties.

Mixing them in: Fold the Peanut Butter Patties into 1 quart of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

Storage: Peanut Butter Patties can be stored in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz