It’s funny how things change after marriage. When we were dating, my husband, Les, and I spent weekends going to shows, visiting antique stores, shooting pool or walking the trails at nearby parks. Now, our Saturdays are more likely to involve cleaning out the garage and hitting up the sample tables at Costco.  Who said romance is dead?

Last weekend, we loaded all our goodies into the trunk of the car after a Costco run— the bulk package of paper towels, a two-liter bottle of extra virgin olive oil, tower of canned tuna— everything except some irresistible dark chocolate peanut butter cups that caught my eye at checkout. That item rode shotgun with me in the front seat because we didn’t get to sample them inside and we are always starving when we finish shopping. By the time we got home, I said, “you know, these peanut butter cups would be great in a dark chocolate ice cream. I guess it’s time I made some.”

So, where are the peanut butter cups?

Your eyes don’t deceive; the peanut butter cups aren’t in there and I can explain. Our impression of the peanut butter cups changed after we got home, as we found them to be oddly gritty, especially after I chilled them. This is one of the hazards of Costco, as we now have a humongous bag of an impulse item that lost its shine on the way home. I didn’t want to risk sabotaging the perfect texture of the ice cream before me, so I changed my plan. The candy inspired me, and for that, I give thanks.

Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos.

Don Kardong (1976 Olympic runner, serious ice cream lover)

Let’s be honest, the world is full of darkness and chaos, even with ice cream. But summer’s favorite treat at least provides a most pleasant distraction, and this one deserves to be shared for its deep, dark chocolate flavor and silky smooth consistency. Here’s a fun fact: I’m not even particularly fond of chocolate ice cream, but this one? This one is awesome.

Most of my homemade ice creams these days begin, as this one does, with a can of sweetened condensed milk. I used to rely on custard as a base, and I still think it’s delicious and luxurious. But it gives me a headache trying to whip the egg yolks and sugar just right, then tempering with hot milk and especially cooking the custard to the proper thickness without crossing the line into scrambled egg territory. You can probably tell that I’ve had my share of issues here. 😏

The first time I made sweetened condensed milk ice cream, the clouds parted and I heard angels singing. I’m pretty sure it was the s’mores ice cream that I made for National S’mores Day three years ago, and I’ve hardly looked back. Condensed milk is thick, rich and exactly the right amount of sweetness for ice cream. It is an amazing substitute for custard, without the fuss or the saturated fat of several egg yolks. I learned later that the fat-free version of condensed milk works just as well as the regular kind (as long as you eat the ice cream within a few days), and isn’t this just the greatest news? 

So, I decided that sweetened condensed milk was the way to go, along with a few other things— whole milk, cream, dark cocoa powder and vanilla. As my recipe progressed, I also stirred in a bit of brown sugar to offset the sharpness of the cocoa and a teaspoon of espresso powder to accentuate the deep chocolate flavor. We are already more than halfway through National Ice Cream Month— let’s get this done!

Chocolate lovers, pay serious attention

Do you remember, as a kid, stirring Nestlé Quik into a glass of ice cold milk, and how you could never quite get all the chocolatey powder to dissolve, no matter how long you stirred? It’s tough to mix a powder into a liquid, and even more so when the powder is cocoa. For starters, the density of cocoa powder is greater than the density of milk— it’s mostly fat and fiber, so it’s kind of like me expecting my middle-aged body to squeeze into my favorite old jeans shorts. It ain’t happening (especially after so much ice cream)! But there is a way to force the cocoa to dissolve, with a side effect of also releasing its full flavor potential. You have to cook it.

Sorry, but even with a non-custard base ice cream, we must turn on the stove for this one, at least long enough to coax the cocoa into dissolving. As I began whisking my cocoa into the condensed milk, I remembered that my condensed milk was fat-free, and I needed a little fat content to help this along. So I whisked in a half cup of the cream from my recipe and realized that I had another problem. My cocoa was lumpy, and it hadn’t occurred to me to sift it first (I was too excited, I guess). This, my friends, is exactly why my immersion blender lives in the cabinet above the range hood. I was back in business!

The condensed milk base was so deep and rich, I worried that the cream and milk would flatten the flavor, but that definitely was not the case. Vanilla did its part as well, accenting the depth of the cocoa. It was smooth, creamy and exploding with chocolate flavor.

But what does the resident chocolate lover think?

As much as possible, I include Les in my process of making new recipes, especially when it comes to sweets because my own sweet tooth is underdeveloped. He licked the tasting spoon and declared it “very chocolatey, but not sweet enough.” The double dark cocoa blend from King Arthur Baking is a fantastic blend of Dutch-processed and black cocoas. It’s more intense even than Hershey’s dark cocoa, and that intensity registers as a touch bitter. So one cup of the ice cream base went back into the pan so that I could melt in a quarter cup of brown sugar to soften that sharpness, and this is when I decided to also add a touch of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor without more cocoa. It was a bold move because Les despises coffee flavor, but trust me, he would never know it’s in there.

Second taste test was a winner, and I chilled and churned as usual, trusting my Cuisinart 2-quart ice maker that is going strong after 15 years. I know that the internet is full of “no churn” recipes, but if you enjoy homemade ice cream, I wholeheartedly recommend that you purchase a good quality machine. Mine has paid for itself many times over.

One could certainly make an argument for adding any variety of candies or other goodies to this dark chocolate ice cream. It would be a terrific base for a rocky road, a mint chip—or yes, a peanut butter cup blend. But I don’t regret enjoying it just as it is, in all its deep, dark chocolatey goodness.

Still twelve days left of National Ice Cream Month. What flavor do you want next?

Double Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

• Servings: About 8
• Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and churning
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: Average
• Print

If you love chocolate ice cream, do yourself a favor and make this no-egg recipe. It would be a terrific base for any number of add-ins, but its creamy, indulgent texture makes it perfect on its own!

Ingredients

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (fat-free works great)
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. espresso powder (optional, to accentuate the chocolate flavor)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp. real vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. vodka (optional, added in the final minute of churning)

Note: The vodka addition is optional, and I recommend omitting it if you will be serving children or others who avoid alcohol. It’s a very small amount, and if you choose to add it during the final minute of churning in the ice cream maker, you’ll find that the ice cream is easy to scoop straight out of the freezer. If you do not use the vodka, simply take the ice cream out five minutes before serving.

Directions

1. Combine condensed milk, cocoa, brown sugar, espresso powder and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Whisk over medium low heat for 6 to 7 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is very hot to the touch. Remove from heat and continue whisking for one minute.
2. Transfer hot cocoa mixture to a large, heatproof bowl. Whisk in whole milk, vanilla and remaining heavy cream. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate several hours until thoroughly chilled.
3. Prepare ice cream machine and churn mixture according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add vodka during the final minute of churning, if desired.
4. Transfer to an insulated ice cream container. Freeze several hours or overnight until firm.