PERFECTLY DECADENT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STRACCIATELLA

Ingredients:

(Makes about a half quart)

For your Custard:

3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons Heavy Cream (200 mL)

2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ( about 15 grams ) (I used partially de-oiled cocoa powder with around 20 - 22% cocoa butter from Naturata, a fairtrade company.)

3.5 ounces Chopped Chocolate (60 - 75% cacao) (100 grams)

2/3 cup Whole Milk (160 mL)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar ( 80 grams)

3 Large Egg Yolks

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean (optional)

Bowl of ice water

For your Chocolate Stripes:

1 or 2 ounces of Chocolate* (30 - 60 grams)

*You can use any type of chocolate you like. Dark, Milk, White, or any style in between. (I use Spicy Chili chocolate in the colder months, just to give the ice cream some sparkle.)

Tools:

Heavy Bottom Pot or Double boiler (Don’t have a Double Boiler? Don’t worry, just place a medium bowl over the top of a pot with a an inch or two of water simmering in the bottom.)

Whisk

Sieve

Large bowl & smaller bowl (ice bath)

Wooden spoon or Heatproof Spatula

Thermometer*

*Ideal, not essential

Instructions:

To make your Chocolate Ice Cream Base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.)

2. Pour the unsweetened cocoa powder and half of the cream into a pot and place over medium heat. Whisk while the cocoa powder dissolves into the cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, whisking constantly for half a minute.

3. Remove from the heat and add your chopped chocolate. Give it a good stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the second half of your cream while stirring. Once smooth, float the pot in your ice bath. Keep a sieve nearby for later.

4. Set your heavy-bottom pot or double boiler over medium high heat. Add the milk, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar has melted and steam begins to rise from the surface.

5. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.  Once it is uniform, add a  tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 3 - 4 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolks. Add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix the bottom as well. The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is thick enough to glaze the back of the spoon. Run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the custard remains separated, it is done cooking.

6. Strain the custard into the floating pot of chilled chocolate cream. Add the vanilla (if using) and stir the custard until cool. (5-ish minutes)

7. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least four hours. Letting it sit even longer, perhaps overnight, is even better.

8. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine (removing the vanilla bean if you used one) and let it churn until it has the texture you desire.

9. Store the ice cream in a pre-chilled, air-tight container place in the freezer to stabilize for 15 - 20 minutes. Do not let it freeze solid yet.

To finish the Ice Cream:

10. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, remove entirely from the heat and let cool until just room temperature. (It should still be fluid, but not hot.)

11. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a spoon drizzle thin, wispy lines of chocolate over the top of the ice cream. Cover and place in the freezer to chill for a minute or two. Once the stripes of chocolate have hardened, pull the ice cream from the freezer and, using your fingers or a fork, press the hard chocolate deep down into the ice cream so that it breaks into thin flakes as you push it.

12. Repeat step 11 as many times as you like to get the ratio of chocolate flakes to ice cream that you desire.

13. Store in the freezer until about a half hour before you plan on serving. This thawing time give it a chance to breath. Not only will it have a more pleasant mouthfeel, the flavors will get a bit of a boost as they warm up!

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This Double Chocolate Stracciatella ice cream will keep for about one week.

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Notes :

+ Although this recipe is classic, don’t be scared to get creative with your stracciatella. Play around with different types of chocolate pairings. Spicy Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Sea Salt Chocolate… Go nuts!

{ When Choosing Chocolate }

Chocolate comes in many forms, shades, and constitutions. You'll need to consider what you want for your ice cream to deduce which chocolate type will be best for you. For the most part we stick to medium to dark unsweetened chocolate bars and partially de-oiled cocoa powder with around 20 - 22% cocoa butter for our traditional chocolate ice cream. We highly recommend that you find a good quality brand of chocolate that employs fairtrade practices.

+ Bars vs Chips - It seems that chocolate bars often contain more cocoa butter than chocolate chips, making chocolate bars better suited to melting. But you can use either for this recipe!

+ Powders - When it comes to cocoa powder, stick to unsweetened cocoa powder (avoid powdered chocolate... it is not the same thing as cocoa powder). Chocolate drink mixes like Nesquick and ovaltine contain sugar. We stick to medium to dark unsweetened chocolate bars and partially de-oiled cocoa powder with around 20 - 22% cocoa butter for our traditional chocolate ice cream

+ White Chocolate - Not all items labeled “White Chocolate” are actual chocolate. The real stuff has the delicate creamy color of ivory (it's not white!) and will only have pure cocoa butter listed on it's ingredients label in the "fats" section.

Great pairings for Chocolate:

Caramel, Coconut, Nuts (Walnut, Pecan, Almond), Flaky Sea Salt, Coffee, Liqueur (Bourbon, Whiskey, Dark Rum), Baking Spices (Clove, Cinnamon, etc), Fruits (Raspberries, Cherry, Pear, etc.), Pretty much anything...

Perfectly Decadent Double Chocolate Stracciatella

Laura | February 2019

Cooking & Preparation time: 40 minutes

Chilling time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Servings: Makes about a half quart of ice cream

Level of Skill: Easy

Ingredients:

For your Custard:

• 3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons Heavy Cream (200 mL)
• 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ( about 15 grams ) (I used partially de-oiled cocoa powder with around 20 - 22% cocoa butter from Naturata, a fairtrade company.)
• 3.5 ounces Chopped Chocolate (60 - 75% cacao) (100 grams)
• 2/3 cup Whole Milk (160 mL)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar ( 80 grams)
• 3 Large Egg Yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean (optional)

For your Chocolate Stripes:

• 1 or 2 ounces of Chocolate* (30 - 60 grams)

{You can use any type of chocolate you like. Dark, Milk, White, or any style in between.}

Instructions:

To make your Chocolate Ice Cream Base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.)

2. Pour the unsweetened cocoa powder and half of the cream into a pot and place over medium heat. Whisk while the cocoa powder dissolves into the cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, whisking constantly for half a minute.

3. Remove from the heat and add your chopped chocolate. Give it a good stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the second half of your cream while stirring. Once smooth, float the pot in your ice bath. Keep a sieve nearby for later.

4. Set your heavy-bottom pot or double boiler over medium high heat. Add the milk, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar has melted and steam begins to rise from the surface.

5. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Once it is uniform, add a tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 3 - 4 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolks. Add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix the bottom as well. The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is thick enough to glaze the back of the spoon. Run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the custard remains separated, it is done cooking.

6. Strain the custard into the floating pot of chilled chocolate cream. Add the vanilla (if using) and stir the custard until cool. (5-ish minutes)

7. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least four hours. Letting it sit even longer, perhaps overnight, is even better.

8. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine (removing the vanilla bean if you used one) and let it churn until it has the texture you desire.

9. Store the ice cream in a pre-chilled, air-tight container place in the freezer to stabilize for 15 - 20 minutes. Do not let it freeze solid yet.

To finish the Ice Cream:

1. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, remove entirely from the heat and let cool until just room temperature. (It should still be fluid, but not hot.)

2. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a spoon drizzle thin, wispy lines of chocolate over the top of the ice cream. Cover and place in the freezer to chill for a minute or two. Once the stripes of chocolate have hardened, pull the ice cream from the freezer and, using your fingers or a fork, press the hard chocolate deep down into the ice cream so that it breaks into thin flakes as you push it.

3. Repeat step 11 as many times as you like to get the ratio of chocolate flakes to ice cream that you desire.

4. Store in the freezer until about a half hour before you plan on serving. This thawing time give it a chance to breath. Not only will it have a more pleasant mouthfeel, the flavors will get a bit of a boost as they warm up!

Nutrition:

(per 1/2 cup serving)

Servings: Four 1/2 cup sized scoops

Fat: 35 grams

Calories: 506

Nutrition estimated by Happyforks.com