I often think of recipe development and cooking, in general, as a blank canvas for trying new things in my kitchen. However, as much as I love trying meals I’ve never cooked before, there’s also something special about the classics.
Whether it’s a dish I grew up with from the Azores, or a Western world dish that’s recognized around the globe, a classic is a classic, and there’s no reason to mess with a good thing.
Classic chocolate ice cream. Boring? We think not!
Walk into a proper ice cream shop, and you’ll be presented with lots of flavours from which to choose. Some are familiar while others have names that sound like science experiments.
One flavour you’ll be sure to find is chocolate; on it’s own or in combination with another (because it makes other things better).
In my opinion you can’t go wrong with most ice cream flavours. Ice cream is sweet, cold and delicious. I love trying different flavours (even the science experiments); but classic vanilla and chocolate are still solid go-to flavours that rarely disappoint.
Liz will almost always choose chocolate; whether she has two or thirty options. In her words, “Don’t mess with perfection”.
Our unofficial start to summer.
Victoria Day is a Canadian holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25th, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday. It’s also known as the unofficial start to summer in Canada.
This weekend is also often referred to as May two-four (2-4). Here’s the breakdown… long weekend, fireworks, summertime vibe, grilling and cold beverages (like the 24 beer bottles you’ll find in a case). Hence, May 2-4. You see the connection! 🙂
Liz and I actually prefer ice cream over beer, so on this glorious long weekend, we sat on our deck and raised our cones of chocolate ice cream as we said cheers and welcomed patio season.
When it gets hot, you’ll want to cool down.
In honour of, and in preparation for the hot weather just around the corner, I thought I’d share a classic chocolate ice cream recipe with you today. Is there anything more delicious on a hot day?
Making ice cream at home. Yes you can!
If you’ve never tried making your own ice cream at home, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s very easy, you have control over the ingredients that go into it, and it’s delicious!
Ours is a pretty standard recipe, give or take a few measurements. We also added some condensed milk for sweetness and texture.
It is possible to make ice cream without an ice cream machine, but using a machine helps simplify the process.
There are lots of brands out there, but our favourite is definitely the Breville’s Smart Scoop™ ice cream maker because everything is built-in (note: we’re not being paid to say this on this post).
This unit freezes, churns, automatically makes it the consistency you choose and it tells you when it’s done… crazy right?
It’s always ice cream season!
For the record, while we’re excited about summer and the classic eats and treats of the season, the truth is that ice cream is always in season in our home. And it never gets old– it gets gobbled up so quickly.
Give our recipe a try and let us know what you think. We’re pretty certain you’re going to want to make space in your freezer to stock up on this frozen goodness.
Enjoy your weekend (long or not), enjoy the end of spring in these last few weeks before the official start of summer, and always eat well, friends.
There are so many ice cream flavours constantly popping up, but delicious classic vanilla and chocolate ice cream will never loose their appeal. This recipe will not disappoint!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Canadian, French, International, Italian, North American, World
Ingredients
1 1/2cups milk, we used 3 1/4% fat or homogenized milk
1cupheavy cream
1/2cupsweetened condensed milk
1generous pinchsalt
1tsppure vanilla extract
3/4cupssugar
2tbsphigh quality baking cocoa powder
3largeegg yolks
Instructions
Heat the milk, cream, condensed milk and salt in a pot on medium heat until small bubbles start to form on the edges.
Shut off the heat, add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa and yolks with hand or stand mixer until smooth.
Pour about two cups of the hot cream over the egg mixture and whisk until well combined.
Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the cream and whisk until well combined.
Heat the pot on medium and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. This can take 7 to 10 minutes. To test the mixture for doneness, dip a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger through the coating on the back of the spoon. If it’s ready, the mixture will stick to the backside of the spoon and the path your finger made will remain intact.
Shut off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pour the ice cream mixture into a medium size bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker as per the unit’s instructions and churn until you've reached your favourite consistency. Ours took about 30 minutes.
Serve the ice cream right away or store it in an air-tight container for future treats. Enjoy!
Notes
Cooking time includes the time it takes to churn the ice cream. It doesn't include cooling or refrigeration time.
Follow your ice cream making unit's instructions. In some cases, the bowl needs to be in the freezer for a few hours or over night. We used Breville's "the Smart Scoop™", which doesn't require any preparation before pouring in the ice cream mixture. This unit freezes and churns until the desired consistency is reached.
If you intend to store the ice cream for future use, place a piece of plastic wrap right on the ice cream before placing the lid on the container to help keep it fresh.
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