Rocky Road Ice Cream

I hope everyone had a great week – I had an amazing vacation in Seattle – with lots of great food and dessert.  I had a few amazing ice creams as well – a honey flavored from an ice cream truck (not at all like the ones that drive around my neighborhood!) and an amazing vanilla with shaved chocolate from a local shop.   I am now completely spoiled when it comes to artisanal, small-batch ice creams – good thing I know how to make my own too! 

I made this rocky road a few weeks before we went on vacation – I had some marshmallow left from when I made marshmallow eggs.  So I thought this would be a fun way to use it up.   I’m not sure you can do better than this ice cream – the chocolate is so rich and smoothly and the marshmallow and peanuts give this a perfect texture.

Have a happy, happy start to summer-time: Enjoy!!!   

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 3 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder.  Warm over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve the cocoa.   Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. 

2. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream.  Transfer this mixture to a medium-large mixing bowl.  Set a fine mesh sieve over the top.

3. In the same saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and salt and warm the mixture over medium heat.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  When the milk mixture is warm, gradually whisk into the egg yolks, beating constantly.  Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and continue heating over medium-high heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, until the mixture is slightly thickened and reads 170-175° F on an instant-read thermometer. 

4. Remove from the heat and pour through the mesh sieve into the chocolate-cream mixture and stir to blend.  Stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator or using an ice bath.  Once the mixture is completely chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Fold in the marshmallows and peanuts when the ice cream is completely churned.  Store in an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Source: Annie’s Eats from David Lebovitz

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