Chocolate Ice Cream (custard base)
- 6 oz. chocolate (semisweet or dark)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
The Night Before
Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker. The base needs to chill as well, so make it the night before too.
The Base
Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and place over medium heat. Bring to a bare simmer, then set a large heatproof bowl on top. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream and cocoa powder. When the mixture begins to boil, remove from the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale and thick ribbons form, 3 to 4 minutes (a hand mixer works). Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot milk mixture one ladle at a time to warm the egg mixture through.
Pour the mixture into the saucepan, whisk in the melted chocolate and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, making sure it never comes up to a simmer, about 4 to 5 minutes. To check, coat the back of the spoon and swipe a finger through it: if the line stays clean it is ready, about 170° on a candy thermometer.
When the custard is thickened, stir in the vanilla and salt. Strain into a large bowl and set in the ice bath. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill 3 hours or overnight.
Churning
When the custard is chilled and the bowl is frozen, churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. At soft serve consistency transfer to another container and freeze until hardened, 2 to 3 hours or overnight.