Mexican chocolate ice cream

Yield: 1 batch

Measure Ingredient
3 cups Half-and-half
½ cup Dark brown sugar
12 \N Egg yolks; beaten
3 ounces Unsweetened chocolate
7 ounces Semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons Instant coffee powder
3 tablespoons Ground cinnamon
¾ cup Confectioners' sugar
1 cup Lightly toasted and ground blanched almonds
5 ounces Semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon Chile piquin flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups of the half-and-half and the brown sugar; heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk ⅓ c. of the half-and-half/sugar mixture into the egg yolks, then return the half-and-half to the stove and add the yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook, continuing to stir, until the custard coats a spoon or reaches 170 F. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the chocolates and coffee together in a double boiler, being careful that the mixture does not burn. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture into a food processor; add the remaining half-and-half, cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. Process until smooth, then gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the custard. Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in an ice cream machine, according to manufacturer's instructions. When frozen, the texture will be creamy rather than firm. Fold in the toasted almonds, ground chocolate and chile flakes. Return to freezer until ready to serve.

Yield: Approximately 1 quart.

From Kathy Kagel of Cafe Pasqual's/Santa Fe, NM in "Cooking with Herbs" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. New York: Clarkson N.

Potter, Inc., 1989. Pg. 57. Posted by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-04-94

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