It’s hard for me to get excited about sweets. I tend to veer towards savory over sugary. However, there are a few treats that make my heart skip a beat–panna cotta, meringues and dark chocolate.
Whether it’s a small bite from a bar, or melted inside a croissant, dark chocolate draws me to its decadent, rich flavor.
Homemade ice cream has become a mainstay in A Pleasant Little Kitchen. The rewards of making a batch have come to outweigh the ease of picking up a carton at the store (click here to read more on how to make homemade ice cream).
There are many reasons why making ice cream at home has become the preferred route. One, I get to be creative with the flavors. Two, it’s an activity the whole family enjoys together (sometimes it’s them eating what I make, but most of the time everyone participates in the creation). Three, I can control the sugar levels AND avoid preservatives.
For awhile now, my daughter has convinced herself that she does NOT like dark chocolate. Little does she know that most chocolate she’s given is dark (I win!). When I told the kids we were making “chocolate” ice cream there was collective praise.
“I want some! I want some! I want some”
I wasn’t 100% sure if I could find dark chocolate cocoa powder at the local grocery store, and was prepared to go to a specialty shop if necessary. But I knew if there was one grocery store that would have it and at a reasonable price it would be Market Street. It’s not only a grocery store that provides all the basics, but it’s also a great place to find specialty food items that are tricky to locate.
While we were at Market Street shopping for ingredients, I grabbed the dark cocoa powder and the essential ice cream ingredients. However, I gave my children the responsibility to choose whatever else they wanted to use to dress up the ice cream–within reason, of course.
The small child-sized grocery carts were filled with graham crackers, cherries, peppermints and waffle cones. My cart contained something special too–a beautiful bowl, spoon and tray set from the boutique gift shop. Everyone walked out of Market Street smiling.
We came home, unloaded our goods and began our task. Cracking pasture raised eggs, warming organic milk and cream, stirring and pouring–making memories while developing skills and creating something delicious from quality ingredients.
Take your kids to the market, get in the kitchen and be together. Make ice cream.
Read more about APLK’s ice cream adventures in The Dallas Morning News, click here.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Market Street. All opinions are my own and I appreciate your support of the brands/companies that I love.
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
Instructions
- 24 hours before making ice cream with an electric ice cream maker, place the freezer bowl in the freezer. Check your ice cream maker manual for specific instructions.
- In a small sauce pan, heat the cream, milk, vanilla extract on medium-low for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally and not to let it boil.
- After 5 minutes, add the cocoa powder to the milk mixture. Stir occasionally to keep the chocolate from sticking to the pan. Cook for 10 additional minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add the yolks and sugar. With a whisk, break the yolks and combine with the sugar.
- Remove the liquid from the stovetop and strain into a bowl. Immediately begin to temper the yolk mixture with the warm mixture. To temper the yolks, whisk the eggs quickly while slowly adding the warm liquid (about 1/4 cup at a time) until all the liquid is combined.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge. Let it chill for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
- Place the ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker and mix for 20 minutes, or until the ice cream is thickened to the desired consistency.
- Serve immediately for soft serve, or place in a freezer safe container and freeze for a firmer texture.
