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Featuring the Dark Chocolate ice cream with Cranberries recipe of this post.

SWIRLED AND LAYERED ICE CREAMS

Dark Chocolate, Vodka,
& Cranberries Ice Cream
with xanthan gum

With vodka, dried cranberries, chocolate, milk heavy cream, sugar, xanthan gum, and gelatine.

This is our Dark Chocolate Ice Cream loaded with vodka and vodka-soaked cranberries. The dark chocolate ice cream is as dark as it should be, with intense chocolate flavour and a fantastic mouthfeel. The addition of vodka enhances the dark chocolate’s sharpness and helps the ice cream stay soft in the freezer, which is very much welcomed with all this cocoa and chocolate the ice cream contains that typically makes the ice cream hard.

The dried cranberries are soaked overnight in the vodka syrup, allowing them to absorb it and plump up to twice their original size. These little pockets of cranberry deliciousness burst with vodka flavour in every spoonful, complementing the dark chocolate ice cream as it melts in your mouth.

Two additional ingredients make this ice cream extraordinary:
• gelatine: thanks to it, we can add plentiful vodka and still achieve a fluffy texture during churning (alcohol typically makes the ice cream melty and churns it to a sad, sloppy mess), it also keeps the ice cream from melting too fast during serving
• xanthan gum gives the ice cream a fantastic mouthfeel and texture without the need for egg yolks.

Watch us making it
The recipe

Dark Chocolate, Vodka, & Cranberries Ice Cream
| with xanthan gum

Ingredients:
Notes:

When making ice cream prefer to weigh all the ingredients by weight. We also recommend, whenever possible, weighing the liquid ingredients directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.

Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) are not accurate conversions; we sometimes round them up in a way that makes sense. Small deviations do not affect the outcome.

If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 tablespoon = 15 ml

• sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one); this is 13 gr of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.

• liquid ingredients: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.

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):

milk 43.4% / heavy cream 35.5% / sugar 15.6% / dark rum 5.38% / xanthan gum 0.12%  / approx. 1 sheet gelatine (or 1.5 teaspoon gelatine granules) for every 30 ml rum calculated 

in the desired total weight of the ice cream mixture. 

For the raisins: 8.7% raisins for desired total weight of ice cream mixture and for the rum 1.2 x the raisins for soaking them

For example, if you want to make 1000 g of ice cream mixture, you need:

  • 1000 g x 43.3% = 433 g milk
  • 1000 g x 35.4% = 355 g heavy cream
  • 1000 g x 15.6% = 156 g sugar
  • 1000 g x 5.4% = 54 g dark rum
  • 1000 g x 0.2% = 2 g xanthan gum
  • and approx. 1.8 gelatine sheet (1 sheet gelatine x 54 ml rum / 30 ml ) or 1.35 teaspoon gelatine granules ( 0.75 teaspoon x 54 ml rum / 30 ) 

For the raisins:

  • 1000 g x 8.7% = 87 g raisins
  • and 87 g x 1.2 = 104 g dark rum for soaking

You can adjust the quantity of the xanthan gum in the recipe to your liking, depending on the texture you want to achieve:

  • To slightly stabilise the ice cream without affecting its texture and mouthfeel much, use 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (0.7 g or 0.06% by ice cream mixture weight) and decrease the sugar by 10 g (0.35 oz)
  • To create a firmer texture, which has a fuller body and mouthfeel, use 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g; 0.12% by ice cream mixture weight) as per the recipe 
  • For a stretchy texture similar to Booza/salep ice cream, use 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (2.3 g; 0.22% by ice cream mixture weight) and increase the sugar in the recipe by 15 g (0.5 oz)

You can read more about it here.

Tips to Enhance the Flavour of Rum Raisin Ice Cream

To give your Rum Raisin ice cream a truly exceptional taste, consider using a combination of raw cane sugars. We recommend using 100 g of raw cane sugar Demerara and 80 g of dark Muscovado sugar. This will impart a superior flavour to your ice cream and a beautiful light brown colour. If you don’t have these types of sugar on hand, don’t worry – you can still make fantastic ice cream with regular white sugar or light brown sugar.

Before using the dark Muscovado ensure that it is soft before use. Use your fingers to break down any small lumps before using it in the recipe, to ensure that they dissolve completely in the heavy cream.

Adding a cinnamon stick to your ice cream base while it’s lukewarm is another way to enhance the flavours. The cinnamon stick will stay in the base while it’s in the fridge, balancing the flavours and creating a more well-rounded taste. Just be sure not to infuse the ice cream with cinnamon while the base is hot, as this will give it a cinnamon flavour.

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. 

Instructions
Prepare ahead:

Prepare the soaked cranberries and ice cream mixture the day before churning the ice cream (or at least 8 hours before).

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.

Step 1: Make the ice cream mixture

Soak the cranberries in the vodka syrup: place the sugar (30 g; 1 oz) into a bowl and pour the boiling water (30 g; 1 oz) over it; stir to dissolve the sugar completely; be patient, it takes a while. Pour the vodka (60 g; 2.1 oz) over the syrup, and add the lime zest if using and stir. Add the dried cranberries (100 g; 3.5 oz) and stir to ensure that all cranberries are submerged in the vodka. Cover and set aside at room temperature to soak for at least 8 hours; during this time, the cranberries will absorb the most vodka possible and become plumpy and boozy. 

Prepare the gelatine: Place the gelatine leaves/granules (2 gelatine leaves / 2 tsp gelatine granules) into a flat bowl and pour over 65 g of the cold milk (2.3 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 (145 g; 5.1 oz) into a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly to combine, breaking down any cocoa lumps with the rubber spatula, until the mixture is a uniform colour.

Pour 100 g of the milk (3.5 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 200 g more milk (7.1 oz) and all 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 the saucepan, then whisk again.

Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the blender jug and turn the blender on (medium speed). Note: By now, the blending mixture has reached the right temperature to add the xanthan gum (approximately 60 °C/140°F) if you go from boiling the milk to adding the chocolate and blending without stopping. 

Turn the blender on (medium speed)

Sprinkle in the xanthan gum, then add the gelatine & milk: 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 softened gelatine leaves/granules and their milk.

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 remaining cold milk (400 g; 14.1 oz) into the empty 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. Blend until it is a uniform brown colour with no streaks.

Add the vodka (30 g; 1 oz) and blend to combine.

Step 2: Chill the ice cream mixture

Pour the ice cream mixture into a bowl, preferably made of stainless steel or heatproof glass, as these materials chill the mixture more quickly. Avoid using plastic bowls, as they may not cool the mixture effectively.

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, so do not rush the cooling process.

Step 3: Churn the ice cream

Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: it should feel fridge-cold when you place your finger into it (below 12ºC / 54ºF, if you have a thermometer).

Strain the cranberries: place a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour over the cranberries and vodka syrup. Stir around the cranberries to release any leftover syrup and place them into a bowl; put them in the freezer to chill them. 

Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Blitz the ice cream mixture with an immersion blender, pausing once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until creamy and wavy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-70 minutes.

When the ice cream is ready:

Add the strained cranberries: with the ice cream maker running, gradually add the strained cold cranberries, a tablespoon at a time. Leave to churn for 10 more minutes until the cranberries are evenly distributed.

Add more vodka (optional): if the ice cream is nice and fluffy after the cranberries are incorporated, for an extra strong vodka flavour, you can add up to 2 tablespoons more vodka if you are making this during winter (or up to 1 tablespoon if the weather is hot). How to decide if you want to add it: Taste the ice cream, and if you judge that you want it more boozy, gradually add 1–2 tablespoons of vodka. 

This ice cream is ready when it is creamy and wavy. 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 the ice cream is smooth and pliable. 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.

Step 4: Put the ice cream in the freezer to set

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
· stir the ice cream with a spoon to further distribute the raisins.
· place it in the freezer, uncovered.
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.

Serve or store: as soon as it sets, serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storing.

The type of ice cream maker you use and the freezer will determine the setting time. Since it contains alcohol, it will take longer to set than non-alcoholic ice cream. We’ve found that in our freezer, it takes around 8 hours.

To evaluate if the ice cream has set, insert a round tip knife into it, all the way to the bottom: 

  • when the ice cream is ready, it feels firm as you go down, but at the same time it is soft enough to insert the knife into it; it should have this same firm consistency from top to bottom.
  • not ready yet: it will feel hard on the top and softer as you go down
  • if left in the freezer for too long: it will be too hard for the knife to insert into it and too hard to scoop out of the ice cream bowl. Do not worry, though! Read right below how to soften it.

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:

  • anywhere from 4 to 10 hours for removable freezer bowls (these are the ones which need pre-freezing before churning)
  • 1-2 hours for aluminium bowls (these are the bowls from compressor ice cream makers)

(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 and serving

Storing: In the freezer for one month, cover it well to protect it from absorbing the freezer’s smells. 

Scooping: this ice cream remains scoopable in the long term, thanks to its high alcohol content, and you can enjoy it straight out of the freezer. 

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