Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

This ice cream was actually made out of necessity.  After making the chocolate covered marshmallow cookies for the Daring Baker July challenge, I wanted to find a use for them.  I didn’t want to eat them like a normal person, so I searched for a new way to enjoy them.  I decided that they would be perfect in chocolate ice cream, almost like Rocky Road ice cream, but without the peanuts.  Usually I would turn to The Perfect Scoop for an ice cream recipe, but I’ve already made his French-Style Ice Cream, Philadelphia Style Ice Cream, and Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, so I needed to go to another source.  After making a couple of Dorie’s ice cream recipes this summer, I decided to see what she had to offer in therms of chocolate selections.  Chocolate Ganache sounded like it would be really good, so I decided to give it a try.

This was a custard-based ice cream.  It contained 4 egg yolks, while David Lebovitz’s French-style ice cream contained 5, so it wasn’t quite as creamy, but still very close.  It was very rich and chocolaty.  This would be a great recipe to use high-quality chocolate.  I usually use Ghirardelli, but I had some Callebaut that had no clear purpose, so I thought using it in a recipe where you can really taste good chocolate would do it justice.  Dorie does not state which kind of chocolate to use.  She said that she usually goes for dark, bittersweet chocolate, but that any kind of chocolate would do.  I used 60% chocolate, which I have found to be perfect for my tastes.  It’s dark enough to have a rich chocolate taste, but not too dark where it tastes bitter.  This was a great recipe for using those cookies.  I’ve tried many chocolate ice cream recipes, and I can’t pick a favorite.  They have all been wonderful!

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

4 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

Put the chocolate in a 2-quart liquid measuring cup or a large heatproof bowl.  Bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute, then, using a rubber spatula and starting in the center of the mixture, slowly stir the cream in to the chocolate in ever-widening concentric circles.  When the ganache is smooth, set it aside.

Bring the milk and the remaining ¾ cup cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until well blended and just slightly thickened.  Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid- this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won’t curdle.  Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid.  Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; of you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track.  The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat and slowly and gently stir the custard into the ganache.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.