Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

 
Me and Ice cream go way back. When I was little I wanted to be an ice cream taste-tester when I grew up. Although I have worked my tail of to become a theater teacher, a little part of me still wants to be an ice cream taste tester (or a dolphin trainer).
When I was in sixth grade (I think) I was supposed to write a poem. I could not think of what to write so, being silly and hungry, I called my poem “Ode to Ice Cream.” From then on, when ever I had to draw a picture, sculpt, paint or whatever for art, I just used ice cream as my inspiration. I know, I was a nerd. I was mostly just being silly. But I earned the nick name “Ice cream girl.” It stuck with me through Jr. High and at lunch when we had ice cream, everyone who didn’t want theirs, would come find me. I think I once had 10 ice cream bars on my lunch tray from other people. I thought I was so cool. My friends would give me ice cream for my birthday and Christmas. It is embarrassing to look back and think about what a nerd I was. My reputation as an ice cream lover even lingered in high school, although I tried not to make a big deal about it.
And here I am, doing an ice cream tribute, once again. I feel kind of stupid about how silly I was in my younger years, but it is kind of fun to host ice cream month, for old time’s sake. :)
 
This ice cream was amazing!
Ingredients:

• chewy brownies, cut into small cubes. ( I just used a mix and cut them up small with a pizza slicer)
• 2 C. heavy cream
• 3 TBSP. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5 oz. bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 C. whole milk
• 3/4 C. sugar
• pinch salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Warm 1 C. of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium sauce pan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, the reduce 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 C. cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible. Set the bowl in an ice bath and rest a strainer on top. ( You don’t have to do an ice bath. Click here to see my thoughts on ice baths.)
2. Warm the milk,sugar, and salt in the same sauce pan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the sauce pan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a whisk or heat resistant spatula. Heat and stir until it starts to thicken and bubble a little bit. Don’t let it boil. Just before if starts to boil, remove from heat and pour through the strainer into the bowl in the ice bath. Let it cool to room temperature and stir in the vanilla.
4. Chill in the fridge or freezer. I like to put it in my freezer until it starts to freeze around the edges of the bowl. Then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. At the end of churning, add in the brownie pieces according to your taste ( I like lots!). Freeze in an air tight container.

To See A Custard Based Ice Cream, Click Here
Chocolate custard recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz