Stracciatella (Chocolate Flake Ice Cream)
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
6 large egg yolks
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 1⁄2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan, gently warm 1 cup of heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt, until the sugar has dissolved. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warmed mixture and add the bean as well. Cover the saucepan, remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour the remaining cup of heavy cream into a large bowl and set a strainer on top. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl (one that can fit the bowl with the 1 cup of heavy cream) with ice and water.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
4. Slowly pour the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then carefully pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
5. Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Heat until the custard thickens. When it’s ready it will coat the back of the spoon and when you draw your finger across it, it should leave a definitive trail.
6. Pour the custard through the strainer, into the heavy cream. Stir the cream and custard to incorporate. Take the bean from the strainer and add it to the final mixture. Add the vanilla extract.
7. Put the bowl into the ice bath, and stir until the mixture has cooled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I recommend chilling it overnight.
8. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream machine’s instructions. (Mine, which is a Cuisinart, takes about 20-30 minutes.)
9. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or by a double-boiler method. To use the microwave, place chips in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating.
10. About 5 minutes before the ice cream is done, slowly pour the chocolate in a thin stream directly onto the ice cream. It will flake and break as the ice cream mixes.
11. If you prefer soft serve, eat at this point. Otherwise freeze until hardened, about 3-4 hours.
Comments
This is the first custard based ice cream I’ve ever made. I followed a recipe I found on Return of the Yummy. The ice cream was fantastic – Art declared it the best ice cream he’s ever eaten. The bittersweet chocolate complimented the sweetness of the ice cream perfectly and it was just the way I remember it from the Stracciatella I got in England. The ice cream was so rich and the flavor of the vanilla really shone through.
Sadly I was too eager to eat this last night to take the time to get pictures, I’ll try to remember tonight.
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