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THE LIKE-A-PRO ICE CREAM
With chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, cream, sugar, and xanthan gum.
This Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream is intensely chocolatey and truly lives up to its name. This recipe is my response to other bitter chocolate ice creams that lack chocolate flavor or are overly sweet. I’ve combined all my knowledge of ice cream making to create a recipe that lives up to its name. Each ingredient has been carefully chosen to contribute to a perfect texture and mouthfeel, free of ice crystals, with intense chocolate flavour and, of course, a bitter chocolate taste. Achieving that bitter chocolate flavour wasn’t easy because this meant that we should reduce the sugar, and sugar plays a major role in ice cream making. However, with the addition of vodka, I solved this challenge. So I present you with a Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream, as bitter as homemade ice cream, with everyday ingredients, can be.
Ice creams made with xanthan gum are our Like-A-Pro ice creams. With just one extra ingredient—xanthan gum—you can make eggless ice cream with a perfect, full-bodied mouthfeel. It churns beautifully, melts uniformly during serving, and keeps well in the freezer for a long time, just like the professionals do!
More to explore:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
• Chocolate/couverture: the taste of this ice cream will be as good as the taste of the chocolate (or couverture) you use, so pick one you like. In the recipe, we use chocolate with 70% cocoa solids. Still, if you adjust the amount of chocolate and sugar accordingly, you can make this ice cream with any chocolate with 50-100% cocoa solids and have the same chocolate intensity in the ice cream; tell us the cocoa solids % of your chocolate in the comments, and we will let you know how much chocolate and sugar to use.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: In this recipe, we use a combination of Dutch-processed cocoa powder & black cocoa powder. The Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives the ice cream an intense and rich cocoa aroma, and the black cocoa powder further darkens the colour. If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can replace it with Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but not vice versa.
• Sugar: we use a combination of raw cane sugars to create an intensely dark chocolate flavor. This includes part Demerara raw cane sugar, which adds depth to the flavor, and part Dark Muscovado raw cane sugar, which contributes richness and aroma. While you can use regular white granulated sugar as a substitute and still make great ice cream, if you have access to Demerara and Dark Muscovado sugars, we recommend using them as they do make a noticeable difference.
• Milk: use whole milk, with around 3,5% fat. Do not substitute with skimmed milk (lower fat) or non-dairy milk. You need the fat, milk proteins and lactose that whole milk contains for this ice cream recipe.
• Heavy cream: For this recipe, you can use heavy cream with 35% and up to 36% fat content. It is also OK to use heavy cream suitable for whipping or ultra-pasteurised cream, if it has the right fat content (35-36% fat). Do not use low-fat or non-dairy cream, the ice cream will be icy.
When making ice cream, it’s best to weigh all the ingredients, including the liquid ones. Whenever possible, weigh the liquid ingredients directly into the bowl or pan as you work through the recipe. Transferring them from one bowl to another can lead to a small but unwanted loss of quantity.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use these guidelines: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml | 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
– Sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one) for 13 grams of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife. –
– Chocolate/couverture: Instead of measuring chocolate in cups, estimate the amount of chocolate pieces you need based on the weight of the chocolate bar as written on the packaging. Measurement in cups is not accurate due to variations depending on how finely chopped the chocolate is. –
– Milk and heavy cream: Be sure to thoroughly scrape any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) in our recipes may not always be accurate conversions; any deviations in conversions do not affect the outcome.
Adding vodka to the ice cream enhances the chocolate flavour and helps keep the ice cream soft in the freezer, eliminating the need to thaw it before serving. It also prevents the ice cream from getting icy, which is common with ice cream heavy with cocoa. Gelatin is also added to help the ice cream churn smoothly and maintain its consistency. If you prefer not to use vodka or gelatin, you should omit them together, do not use only one or another, they only work when used together. Just expect that the ice cream may freeze harder without them.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
whole milk 55.6% | heavy cream 13.8% | sugar 12.1 % | chocolate 70% cocoa solids 11.7% | cocoa powder 4.2% | vodka 2.48 | xanthan gum 0.12% in desired total weight of ice cream mixture
whole milk: 1/3 to be boiled, 2/3 to be added cold
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely and hydrate before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Prepare the gelatine: Place the gelatine leaves/granules (2 gelatine leaves / 2 tsp gelatine granules) into a flat bowl and pour over the vodka (30 g; 1 oz). Stir around to moisten; if using gelatine leaves, make sure they don’t overlap. If they do, stir them often so they don’t stick together. Set aside.
Set up the blender and have it ready to use.
Combine the cocoa powder and sugar in a medium saucepan: add the cocoa powder(s) (50 g; 1.8 oz) and sugar(s) (130 g; 4.6 oz) into a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly to combine, breaking down any lumps with the rubber spatula, until the mixture is a uniform colour.
Pour 150 g of the milk (5.3 oz) into the saucepan and stir with the rubber spatula to thoroughly moisten the sugar and cocoa powder. Scrape the saucepan’s bottom, corners, and sides until they feel completely smooth and free of solidified lumps. Take your time with this step, as it will prevent residues from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan during boiling.
Add the heavy cream (165 g; 5.8 oz) to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil: Warm over medium heat, often stirring, until the cocoa dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy.
Increase the heat to high. As soon as the milk comes to a rolling boil (when large bubbles that pop vigorously appear on the surface / approx. 90°C / 195°F / if it starts to overflow), immediately remove it from the heat and
Add the chopped chocolate (140 g; 4.9 oz) into the saucepan and whisk to melt the chocolate. The whisk should come out clean of chocolate residues. Pause once to scrape the bottom and sides of saucepan, then whisk again.
Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the blender jug and turn the blender on (medium speed). Note: The blending mixture is at the right temperature to add the xanthan gum (approximately 60 °C/140°F), so make sure you go from boiling the milk to adding the chocolate and blending without stopping. Otherwise, the mixture will not cool down, and the xanthan gum and gelatine will not have the chance to hydrate properly.
Turn the blender on (medium speed).
Sprinkle in the xanthan gum, then add the gelatine: with the blender on, carefully open the cap and slowly sprinkle the xanthan gum (½ teaspoon) over the blending surface of the mixture, avoiding the sides of the cap.
Then add the gelatine leaves, reserving the vodka to add at the last stage of blending (or, if using gelatine granules, add them now along with the vodka).
Blend for 2 minutes to fully hydrate the xanthan gum; do not estimate the time; set a timer. Do not expect the blend to thicken; it will thicken as it cools.
Add the rest of the cold milk (500 g; 17.6 oz), pour the rest of the cold milk into the saucepan, and stir with a rubber spatula to collect any cocoa residues. Pour it into the blender and blend, pausing once to thoroughly scrape off residues from the sides and bottom of the blender.
Add the vodka and blend until it is a uniform brown colour with no streaks.
Strain the ice cream mixture over a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Xanthan gum needs 6-8 hours in the refrigerator to fully develop.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: below 12ºC / 54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your (clean) finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stir: give the ice cream mixture a nice, thorough stirring. If it is too thick, give it a quick blitz with an immersion blender.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Tip: Extend the churning time by 10 minutes more than your ice cream maker’s recommended time.
This ice cream will expand and fluff up during churning. It is ready when it looks creamy and wavy, with the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. The total churning time depends on your ice cream maker and could be anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
To evaluate if it is ready, lift a spoonful; it should be thick enough to stand on the spoon, but it will still be soft like soft-serve ice cream. If it looks watery or starts to melt the moment you spoon it, leave it to churn for longer.
In any case, if you feel doubts about the consistency, leave it to churn for ten minutes more. But beware: at this stage, do not expect it to be like store-bought carton ice cream; for now, it should be more like soft-serve ice cream. It will firm up and become like store-bought ice cream only after it sets in the freezer.
So, stop the ice cream maker when thick and creamy, as described above. If you leave to churn it for much longer, it will start turning grainy.
Warning: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop after a specific time, which doesn’t make sense because the ice cream may need to churn for more to reach its fullest potential. So, if you notice that your ice cream maker stops on its own and upon checking the ice cream, you find that it is sloppy instead of fluffy, try to turn the machine on again and leave it to churn until it reaches the desired texture.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· place it in the freezer, uncovered
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The time it takes for ice cream to set depends on the type of ice cream maker you are using. Here are the approximate setting times:
– 3-5 hours for removable freezer bowls (these are the bowls that need to be pre-frozen before churning)
– 1-2 hours for aluminum bowls (these are the bowls from compressor ice cream makers)
Please note that these times are approximate and can vary based on different factors. You should check the ice cream occasionally, approximately every 1-2 hours or as needed, while it is in the freezer. The ice cream is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of -11°C / 12°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check if the ice cream has set by inserting a round tip knife into it all the way to the bottom:
– When the ice cream is ready, it should feel firm as you go down, but also soft enough to insert the knife.
– If it’s not ready, it may feel hard on the top and softer as you go down.
– If it’s been in the freezer for too long, it will be too hard to insert the knife and likely too hard to scoop out of the ice cream bowl. In this case, you can find out how to make it scoopable again by clicking on the next section.
If the ice cream stays in the removable freezer bowl for too long, it will become too hard to remove or serve.
To make it scoopable again, leave it in the refrigerator to soften. That can take:
(Note: the time given is indicative, time may vary depending on many factors, so do check it occasionally as it sits in the refrigerator.)
When the ice cream is soft enough to scoop (or it has an internal temperature of approx. -11°C /12°F if you have a thermometer), you can transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer or serve it directly from the freezer bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve ice cream consistency and melts immediately upon contact with anything. So it is too messy to serve or transfer to another container.
Putting it in the freezer after churning sets it and brings it to the right consistency: scoopable and easy to serve or transfer to another container to store it.
Storing: In the freezer for one month, cover it well to protect it from absorbing the freezer’s smells.
Scooping: Thanks to the vodka, this ice cream stays soft in the freezer for a ling time. However, if you don’t use vodka not that like all artisanal ice cream, it freezes hard in the long term. You can make it perfectly scoopable again by putting it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes until soft or until its internal temperature reads -11°C / 12°F.