"Naughty Shelf" Ice Cream

Okay, so I think I finally have ice cream dialed in. I say that because I made up a recipe for coffee (mocha) ice cream last week and it turned out perfect ... or at least close to perfect.

Here 'tis, though I think it works well for just about any flavor. That's the good news: once you get the base right, it's easy to innovate.

whisk together:

1 cup sugar

pinch salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp instant capuccino (that stuff rocks!)

2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp corn starch

whisk in:

2 cups low fat milk (I used 1%)

two egg yolks

Heat it on the stove top til it starts to simmer, whisking it constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it simmers, turn down the heat and cook it for a couple of minutes (continuing to whisk) until it thickens up a bit. If you dip a wooden spoon in it, you should be able to draw a clean line through it with a finger.

Off the heat, add:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vodka

Chill it over night, and then freeze it in an ice cream freezer based on whatever instructions you'd normally follow. The vodka is optional. In theory, the alcohol prevents ice crystals from forming and gives a creamier consistency, but I've seen mixed results. It seems to help, though not much. I include it here because this successful recipe used it, but you can easily omit it without compromising the final product. I think the secret to this recipe is two-fold: (1) not heating the cream, but adding it off heat, and (2) using two emulsifiers: cornstarch AND egg yolks. I've seen lots of recipes that use one or the other, though the egg varieties typically use a LOT of eggs. Using both has yielded ice cream with some truly extraordinary consistencies: dense and smooth--the way ice cream is meant to be.

Using this same base, I've made really nice cinammon ice cream. A chocolate variation (same basic ingredients though with 8 tsp of cocoa powder and no instant capuccino) is getting getting ready for the freezer as I type this. I DO NOT recommend using chocolate ice cream recipes that call for the addition of melted chocolate, regardless of quality. It really messes with the consistency. So, I'm going with Haagen Daz and trying straight cocoa powder.