Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream is quite a common flavor these days – but only thanks to an anonymous suggestion to Ben & Jerry’s in 1991. Since then, virtually every ice cream parlor has the iconic “chocolate chip cookie dough.”

Several people are scared off by the thought of making homemade ice cream, but I assure you, there is nothing to fret over. It’s actually really, really, easy. I promise. I also promise you that all your dinner party guests will be begging you for the name of the NYC ice cream parlor you ordered it from…it’s that good.

xoxo Rachel

Healthy Chocolate Soft-Serve

As you may know, I love anything, and everything, chocolate. One dessert I particuarly love is my homemade chocolate ice cream. However, I did not have the time, nor ingredients on hand, to make my ice cream. So, I decided to whip up something different. I got my inspiration from Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog, and took some frozen banana slices I had in the freezer and began my concoction…

The recipe is simple (in fact there are no real exact measurements). To make chocolate soft-serve, all you need to do is: 

blend some frozen banana slices, a few tablespoons of cocoa powder, some hot fudge sauce, and a little almond milk to perfection.

Yes, that’s all. And you won’t believe how incredible it tastes. It tastes like chocolate soft serve – AND it’s healthy too! 🙂

xoxo Rachel

Strawberry Ice Cream

Everyone loves a good strawberry ice cream in the summertime…

With strawberries in season, I thought there is no better time than now to make some homemade strawberry ice cream. I think you should too.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

1   1/3 cups heavy cream
1   1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons vodka

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set the bowl in a larger container of ice water. Heat the cream, milk, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is hot (175 degrees), about 5 minutes.

2. When the milk mixture is hot, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the remaining sugar together until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks (to temper). Then slowly whisk the tempered yolks back into the remaining hot milk mixture. Continue to cook the custard mixture over medium heat until it is very hot but not simmering (180 to 185 degrees).

3. Strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath and let cool, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove the custard bowl from the ice bath, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 3 hours.

4. Meanwhile, bring the strawberries, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a simmer in a clean, medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, mashing the berries slightly, until they have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.

5. Strain the berry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Stir the juice, vanilla, and lemon juice into the chilled custard. Pour the custard into the ice cream machine canister, churn, following the manufacture’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Toss the strained strawberries with vodka and add to the ice machine about 2 minutes before the churning is finished. Store in the freezer.

-Recipe taken from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook-

xoxo Rachel

Chocolate Ice Cream

I really enjoy a nice creamy cup of ice cream.

an example of the sort of over-the-top elaborate sundaes I create for my brothers when they come over...yes...they are WAY too spoiled!

But being the chocolate aficionado I am, it is very difficult to find “quality” chocolate ice cream. Recently, I have been taking out my ice cream maker and have been making all sorts of ice cream, and I must say, all of them have turned out fantastic! But so far, my favorite ice cream I have made is the good old-fashioned chocolate.

look @ it! it just screams chocolate heaven!

Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

1  1/2 cups whole milk
1  1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (melted and then cooled)
4 large egg yolks

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set the bowl in a larger container of ice water. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is hot (175 degrees), about 5 minutes.

2. When the milk mixture is hot, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, melted chocolate, and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar together until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks (to temper). Then, slowly whisk the tempered egg yolks back into the remaining hot milk. Continue to cook the custard over medium heat until it is very hot but not simmering (180 to 185 degrees).

3. Strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath and let cool, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove the custard bowl from the ice bath, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 3 hours.

4. When chilled, stir the custard thoroughly, then pour into the ice cream machine canister. Churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and press plastic wrap flush against the surface. Cover the container and freeze until the ice cream is firm.

* Recipe taken from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

xoxo Rachel