Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream, perfect on it’s own or to accompany sweet, hot, fudge brownies.
Using Callebaut Dark Chocolate Belgian Chips ensures this ice cream has more than a touch of luxury to it.
Vanilla bean speckled ice cream, crammed full of dark chocolate chips is the perfect treat for those who enjoy a not-too-sweet-treat. It also is the perfect accompaniment for a sweet treat, such as my Vanilla Fudge Chocolate Brownies. Balancing out and complimenting the sweet, chocolate and vanilla fudge brownie with dark chocolate chips in a vanilla ice cream.
Ok so that’s the technical side to things, in my mind there is only one way to improve a brownie and that is by warming it slightly, 10 secs on medium, in the microwave and crowning it with one great big scoop of ice cream!!!!
The ultimate combination.
So much so, I actually created this Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream to go with Brownies. By all means serve it in a cone or bowl, but my recommendation is to serve it on top of a homemade Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownies.
Just a quick note about the chocolate chips – I use chocolate chips that are designed for melting, that is they are not the chocolate chips you find in the baking isle with added stabilisers to make them bake stable. Alternatively use a couple of bars of good quality (70% cocoa) chocolate chopped up into chunks.
Recipe: Makes 750ml Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream
300ml/ 1/2pint Double Cream
300ml/ 1/2pint Milk – Whole or Semi Skimmed – not skimmed
1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste – I use Nielsen-Massey
4 Large Free Range Egg Yolks – freeze the whites in bags for meringues, for up to one month in the freezer.
6tbsp Caster Sugar
1tsp Corn Flour – I used certified gluten free by – Doves Farm
250g/9oz Dark Chocolate Chips – I use Callebaut
Method: Ensure the freezing compartment of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer overnight, or according to the manufacturers instructions.
For step by step photographs showing how to make the ice cream custard base please see Very Vanilla Ice Cream
- Place the cream and milk together in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, over a medium heat. Heat to scalding point – this is just before boiling and you will see a ring of bubbles appear around the rim of the liquid. Once scalding point is reached remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, sugar and corn flour until pale and creamy.
- With the whisk running on slow, gradually add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture in the bowl.
- Once combined pour the custard base back into the saucepan and place over a medium heat.
- Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thickened and coats the back of the spoon.
- Pour the cooked custard, through a sieve, into a clean bowl.
- Cover the top of the custard base with cling film, so that it is in direct contact with the liquid, this prevents a skin from forming.
- Allow the liquid to cool on the work top, I place the bowl on a trivet to aid air circulation.
- When the liquid is just warm place the bowl into the fridge until chilled.
- Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
- With my Andrew James ice cream maker the machine must be churning as the liquid is poured in. If it is easier, transfer the custard base to a jug for pouring.
- Pour the liquid into the ice cream machine and churn until you have a soft set ice cream.
- Stop the machine, remove any paddle and scoop the contents into a freezer proof, sealable container.
- Add most of the dark chocolate chips to the soft ice cream and swirl through using the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Sprinkle the remaining dark chocolate chips on to the surface of the ice cream. Clamp on the lid and place in the deep freeze until fully frozen.
To serve, remove the Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream from the freezer 10-20 minutes before needed, so that it can soften and be easily scooped. One of the fantastic advantages of making your own ice cream at home, is, that no preservatives or additives are present. Yes this means waiting for the ice cream to soften a little prior to scooping. For me I’m willing to wait!
The contrast between the clattering, crunchy chocolate chips and the smooth, velvety, vanilla ice cream simply creates one of the best ice creams I have tasted so far. Trust me, that says a lot.
I have made plenty of ice creams this year with my beloved Which Best Buy Andrew James Ice Cream Maker, some haven’t made it on to the blog yet as they either haven’t delivered on taste and texture, or simply need tweaking. I really am tough on the recipes that I’m willing to post. They have to be excellent, not just ok!
Trust me this Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream is excellent.
If you have enjoyed this recipe for Dark Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream then you may also like these:
Making ice cream at home is so simple, the range of flavours are limitless and the cost of the ice cream maker justified by the quality of ice cream you can make at home.
I have put this Andrew James Ice Cream Maker, which has been awarded a Which Best Buy, through rigorous testing and I thoroughly recommend it.
Have fun, making, creating and baking in your kitchens.
Sammie xx
Andrew James provided me with the ice cream maker for the purposes of a review. All opinions, views, recipes, content and photographs are my own. please see my Disclosure Policy.
