Rich Velvet Chocolate Truffle & Calvados Ice-Cream
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Another invention in the ice-cream maker, this time a very rich
chocolate and Calvados (apple brandy) ice-cream.

You’ll need an ice-cream maker, 2 eggs, split into yolks and whites,
150g caster sugar, 250ml milk, 150ml double cream and 120g plain
chocolate (I used French patisserie cooking chocolate, 75% cocoa)… and
a slosh of Calvados 😉

Directions:

1. Before making this, ensure the bowl from your ice-cream maker has
been in deep freeze for a day or two otherwise it won’t freeze it
properly (it needs to be really cold!).

2. Pour the milk and cream in a saucepan and slowly bring to boiling. As
soon as it starts to boil properly add in a splosh of Calvados.

3. While that’s coming to heat, whisk the egg yolks and 50g of the
caster sugar in a bowl.

4. Pour the boiling milk/cream mix over the egg yolk/sugar mix, whisking
all the time.

5. Return the mix to a pan and add in the chocolate broken into little
bits, whisking again to make sure it all merges together.

6. Add a little splosh more Calvados!

7. When it’s nice and creamy and the alcohol has boiled off (important
or it won’t freeze), take off the heat and pour into a bowl to cool
down.

8. Now we need a meringue type thing to make it a bit more chewy – use
an electric whisk to mix up the remaining 2 egg whites and 100g caster
sugar until the mix stands in stiff peaks (but isn’t too dry).

9. Take a dessert spoon and while whisking the chocolate-cream mix, add
in three dessert spoonfuls of the meringue mix to the now-cooling bowl.

10. When that’s merged, use the electric whisk to remove any final
chunks in the chocolate mix and put in the fridge.

11. Once cooled, pour into the ice-cream maker and leave it to churn.

Because it’s so chewy I’ve found that leaving it overnight in the
freezer (once churned) gives it a bit more stiffness. You have to be
really careful with the alcohol though because it lowers the freezing
point of your ice-cream, hence why we add it to the hot mixture so it
has chance to evaporate the alcohol off.

There was enough meringue mix left over by the way to make three quite
substantial meringues in the oven – something to go in there while the
ice-cream is churning maybe 😉

Also works well with creme-de-menthe to create a nice mint-choc ice-cream.