Chocolate ice cream

I’d been meaning to make chocolate ice cream for ages, but never quite had enough freezer space for an ice cream maker… until now. And it was absolutely worth the wait. Homemade chocolate ice cream is something else entirely – it shouldn’t even share a shelf with shop-bought versions, as it’s easily a class or two above. Velvety, rich and intensely chocolatey, with no artificial additives… highly recommended.

Ingredients for chocolate ice cream (makes about 700 ml):

• 300 ml double cream
• 300 ml whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 90 g sugar*
• 100 g good-quality dark chocolate
• 60 g good-quality milk chocolate
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a gentle heat.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy. Gradually add half of the hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened – it should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil, or it may curdle. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract and the chopped chocolate (both types), and stir until fully melted and smooth. If needed, blend briefly to achieve a perfectly smooth texture. Leave to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until completely cold.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze for a few hours until firm.

Without an ice cream maker:

Pour the chilled mixture into a container and freeze. For the first 3 hours, whisk or blend it every 30 minutes to prevent ice crystals and ensure a smooth texture. Freeze until fully set.

*You can adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of your chocolate. The mixture should taste slightly sweeter before freezing, as it will become less sweet once frozen.

Enjoy!