Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I am seriously tempted to lick my computer screen right now. Don’t do it! It is just a picture. It is not real!

It is that time of year. When my ice cream maker and The Perfect Scoop take up a permanent residence on my counter next to my toaster.

And chances are if you stop by my house at any given time, there is a pretty good chance you will see my other ice cream maker churning away over in the corner. It’s summer, folks. And I start thinking about every ingredient as a possible flavor of ice cream.  This particular flavor is outstanding! It is so rich and creamy and smooth and wonderful. I was planning on taking some to my neighbors, but when I found out they have Peanut allergies, I was secretly excited because I got to keep it. Don’t tell. : ) 

Like most foodie bloggers out there, I snatched my recipe from the renown The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, the ice cream master of the universe. I made a couple changes to his recipe, however. His recipe was a simple Philadelphia style (if you don’t know what that means, click here to find out). I had 4 egg yolks leftover from some egg white omelets and decided to temper the yolks into the cooking ice cream. I am sure the original would be amazing, but those egg yolks just added an extra creaminess and richness. So if you want to take the easy way out, just skip tempering in the egg yolks in the recipe below.  Or, if you don’t want to add 4 yolks, just add one or two. The more, the creamier, though. Either way, you will have an amazing batch of ice cream. If you want to learn more about this kind of Custard Based ice cream, click here.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 C. half and half
• 1/2 C. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 C. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4 egg yolks (optional)
• 1/2 C. smooth peanut butter
• Fudge Ripple (recipe below) optional
• Peanut butter patties (recipe below) optional

Directions:

1. Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a large sauce pan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it starts to foam up and boil.

3. Whisk up the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl, slowly pour the half-and-half mixture into the eggs, constantly whisking as you pour. Then slowly pour it all back into the pan, whisking constantly as you pour.

4. Heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spatula, frequently scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring. Don’t let it boil, however. It should be about 160 F, just before it boils. Immediately pour through a mesh strainer into a separate bowl. Stir in the peanut butter. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for a couple hours, or in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

4. Mix in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For tips on using ice cream makers, click here. If you wish, mix in the peanut butter patties and pour in some fudge ripple. Don’t stir the fudge ripple too much, or it will become muddy. Pour into an air-tight container and let freeze completely in the freezer.

PEANUT BUTTER PATTIES:

• 6 TBSP. peanut butter
• 2 TBSP. powdered sugar

Mix together the peanut butter and sugar in a small bowl. Line a plate with plastic wrap. Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture (1/2 tsp.) and drop them onto the plate. Freeze completely and then add to ice cream at the end of churn cycle.

FUDGE RIPPLE:

• 1/2 C> sugar
• 1/3 C.light corn syrup
• 1/2 C. water
• 6 TBSP. cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking constantly, until it starts to bubble at the edges.

2. Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool completely in the fridge before mixing into ice cream.

To mix it in: The best way to incorporate the ripple is to start by putting some in the bottom of the container. Add some ice cream and then another layer of ripple, and so on. It is best not to stir it.

 

If You Like This Recipe, You Might Also Like:

• Chocolate Brownie Ice cream
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream
•  Gorilla Munch Ice Cream (banana, chocolate, oreo)
• Peanut Butter Filled Hot Fudge Cup Cakes

Recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz