Philadelphia-Style Chocolate Ice Cream
When I was little I lived in Philadelphia, just steps from an ice cream parlor. At the time I didn't know what Philadelphia-Style ice cream was, nor would I have cared. All I knew was that the ice cream was cold, creamy and delicious.
Fast-forward 40 years and I am brought back to this memory by a desire for chocolate ice cream. I’d usually make my favorite "French" custard base, which results in a rich, creamy, luscious ice cream, but I wanted it fast and without fuss. The French-style requires making an egg custard and then adding flavors. But, this is by no means the only way to make fantastic ice creams. The eggless version is often referred to as Philadelphia-style, which is just cream, sugar and lots of flavor. The texture is a bit lighter but no less delicious, and it is so simple and fast to put together.
In a non-reactive sauce pot, whisk together the cream, cocoa, sugar, and salt.
Mix until smooth and heat over medium heat until just simmering.
Add the chopped chocolate and whisk gently until completely smooth. Remove from heat.
Add the milk and whisk to combine.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl (strain if you added the zest), cover with plastic and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.
When the mixture is chilled it will be much thicker.
Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.
Zoë François, author of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads in Five Minutes a Day , studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She now calls Minneapolis her home, where she has worked with some of the top talent in the culinary world — Steven Brown, Andrew Zimmern and many chefs at the D’Amico company. In addition to writing, Zoë teaches baking classes and consults at restaurants. You can find her writing and recipe creations on Devour, on her baking blog, zoebakes.com and on the site, www.breadin5.com.
