Creamy, Dreamy Chocolate Ice Cream

Go and make this ice cream right now!  It is seriously some of the creamiest, chocolatiest ice cream ever.  I received a KitchenAid ice cream attachment last Christmas and was so excited to try it this summer.  I've made a few different kinds, like peach, vanilla and mint Oreo, but this was definitely my favorite.  It was really decadent right out of the ice cream mixer, but I think I preferred it after it spent a couple of hours in the freezer.  And the mix-in possibilities are endless!  Oreos, chopped, toasted almonds, mint cookies, peanut butter, and it goes on and on.  I went to the store and bought some cheap-o chocolate ice cream for the kids because I thought they weren't appreciating this ice cream as much as I was.  Yeah, I'm nice like that.

Chocolate Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer).  (I found that it doesn't take long at all for the mixture to come to 170 degrees, so be ready to take it's temperature right away. You don't want to overcook this.) Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

From browneyedbaker.com who got it from  The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz