Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

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I used to not like chocolate. I mean, if you put it in front of me, I wouldn’t not eat it, but I would never go out of my way to eat chocolate anything. I surely would never order or eat chocolate ice cream.

Things have changed.

It all started when I discovered dark chocolate and sea salt. The little Ghirardelli squares are my favorite. They are just sweet enough to get rid of my sugar craving and one little square is enough, I don’t need any more. But then, it made me realize that I have passed on a lot of other chocolate opportunities. What else have I missed out on because I thought that I wasn’t a chocolate person? Those little squares were my gateway chocolate.

When we lived in California, we used to go to San Francisco and always would stop at Bi-Rite Creamery for a Sam’s Sundae. It sounds so weird, but it is so amazing. You have to trust me. It is dark chocolate ice cream, drizzled with bergamot olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, and a generous spoonful of whipped cream. It all works. Perfection.

I can’t hop in the car anymore and satisfy my sundae craving, so I took matters into my own hands. I love making ice cream. It is so satisfying. This is the smoothest, creamiest, darkest chocolate ice cream ever. I used the recipe from Bi-Rite’s book, so it is about as close as close can get. I couldn’t get the actual olive oil that they use, so I went to a local olive oil shop and used blood orange. It was every bit as amazing as I remembered.

5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup 2% milk
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sam’s Sundae

Dark Chocolate ice cream
Bergamot olive oil (I used blood orange – amazing)
Freshly whipped cream
Maldon Sea salt
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 6 Tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

In a saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder and other 6 Tablespoons of sugar.

Whisk in 1/4 cup of the milk to make a thick paste.
Whisk in remaining milk, cream, and salt.

Heat over medium high heat, and remove when bubbles form around the edges.

Remove from the heat, and whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot cream. Whisk constantly, to avoid cooking the eggs.

Add another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to temper the yolks.

Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it coats the back of a spoon. You will be able to run your finger down the middle, and it will hold a clear path. Cook for 1 minute longer.

Strain the base to catch any bits. Add vanilla.

Pour into a container and place in an ice bath. Stir occasionally, and when it has cooled, covered with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Freeze in your ice maker according to the manufacturer instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container to freeze until firm.

To take it one step further – make a Sam’s Sundae.

Add a few scoops of dark chocolate ice cream to a bowl. Add the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Top with freshly whipped cream.