Recipe: Guinness Chocolate Ice Cream

As weird as this recipe might sound to you, I am telling you now that this is the best chocolate ice cream that I've ever had. Bear in mind that that is coming from a chocolate snob. And for any of you who might be freaked out by the beer, trust me when I tell you that the Guinness adds an interesting depth and complexity to the custard. It's a nice, very subtly bitter counterpoint to all of the richness of the dairy. I tasted the custard before and after the addition of the Guinness (you know, strictly for scientific purposes) and the beer really does make the difference.

I came across this recipe on the blog of another Michelle, over at Brown Eyed Baker. The following is my modified version of her modified version of a recipe from David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop". I can't help it, I'm a modifier. Sometimes I shoot myself in the foot with my tinkering, but in this instance, I am happy with my finished product. So make it my way or make it her way, just do yourself a favor and make this ice cream!



Guinness Chocolate Ice Cream

This recipe makes 1 quart. I made a double batch with no trouble. ;)

5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Callebaut)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup Guinness Stout
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top, set aside.

2. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them without cooking them, then pour the warmed egg yolk/milk mixture back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the egg yolk/milk mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, forming a custard. Pour the custard through the strainer over the bowl of chopped chocolate, catching and discarding any bits of cooked egg. Stir until the chocolate is melted and incorporated. Once the mixture is smooth, whisk in the cream, followed by the Guinness and vanilla extract.

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (it is recommended that you chill it for at least 8 hours or overnight), then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (My ice cream maker went kaput on me, so I used the freezer bowl portion of it only. After 6 hours of cooling before freezing, then another 2 hours in the in the freezer (in the freezer bowl), I had a nice, soft-set ice cream.)

Four easy steps, followed by a painfully long wait pacing back and forth in front of the freezer, and you have yourself a wickedly delicious bowl of ice cream. :)