Chocolate Ice Cream

Modified from Brown Eyed Baker and The Perfect Scoop by David Lebowitz (which I actually did buy)

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I had some issues finding this, I bought Hershey's Cocoa, Special Dark with has the Dutch cocoa in it....to find real, I will have to go to a specialty store or order it online. We'll see if I decide to go that far)

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used semisweet)

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

5 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl (I put it in the bowl I was going to use to keep it in the fridge in), scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks to temper them, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Stir it (they strained it first, I didn't) into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. They used an ice bath, I just cooled on the counter for a bit.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 1 quart.