Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Lately I've seen various blog posts asking what do you like to make in stead of buy? What do you want to create in your kitchen, instead of getting from a box? I could answer this question in lots of ways. I certainly hold my weekly yogurt and yearly salsa making dear. But at the moment I would toss that all aside and say: ice cream!! 

I'm a little biased right now. I recently made the most glorious raspberry chocolate chip ice cream. It is perfectly smooth and creamy, tasting like a summer day with no obligations, no deadlines, nothing to do but stroll through green fields, lie on a beach or get lost in a book. I could wax poetic for pages about this dreamy dessert.

 


It is always so tempting to tell you how quick and easy a recipe is, or how much more economical it is to make something from scratch. But really, are those the only reasons I make food from scratch? Aside from how delicious it is, I revel in the satisfaction of turning disparate ingredients into something new and the connection that I have to my food when I am creating it.

It's true that making ice cream at home takes a little more planning ahead than just grabbing a carton from the freezer case, but I like the mindful dessert aspect of that. If you make it you won't be tempted to buy something that is not nearly as good. Even a custard based ice cream doesn't take much longer to come together than stirring a pasta sauce, it just requires a bit more attention, an overnight (or a few hours) chill, and a bit of churning.

I hope, though, that you'll need no convincing and that the promise of raspberry infused cream studded with shards of bittersweet chocolate is more than enough reason to make this yourself. 



Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This recipe is based on David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe which I also use here. For the raspberry, I used a half pint jar of raspberry preserves I made. It wasn't as thick as jam, but I think jam would work just fine. Make sure it is seedless, or press the jam through a strainer to remove the seeds.

5 egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pint (8 ounces/ 1 cup) raspberry jam (seedless or seeds removed) 

1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (preferably bittersweet, but it's up to you)

Whisk together the egg yolks in a bowl. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the milk is hot and sugar dissolved, lower the heat. Pour some of the heated milk into the eggs and whisk them together. Pour the eggs into the saucepan of milk and cook, still over low heat, stirring with a (heat proof) spatula to scrape the bottom and allow everything to cook evenly. Continue to stir until the custard thickens. When it thickens enough to coat the spatula, it is ready. Pour the custard into a bowl and add the cream and jam. Whisk together until it is smooth. Refrigerate until completely chilled, overnight if possible.

While the custard is chilling, make the chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate and spread it over a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the chocolate cool until solid. You can put it freeze it which will make it really easy to break into chips and cold when you mix it into the ice cream.

When the custard is cold, freeze it in your ice cream maker. Before storing the ice cream in the freezer, stir in the chips. Freeze until ready to serves. Makes about 1 quart.