Thin Mint ice cream redux
(I made this two years ago! Different recipe, though. Still yummy.)
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
9 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Makes 1.5 quarts
Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine. Put the egg whites into an ice cube tray and then freeze. Tell your boyfriend to not use the yellow ice cubes in the freezer.
Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Stare at the back of your wooden spoon, wondering how to recognize a proper coating when the chocolate covers the spoon anyway. Dig out your neglected candy thermometer and stir until the temperature reaches 170 to 175 degrees. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.
Pull out of the refrigerator the next evening and re-read the directions and realize that you forgot to add the remaining half-and-half and the heavy cream in the very first step, after the wisking and before the simmering.
Consider crying because the whole thing is RUINED and you may be a bit emotional, but instead slap yourself across the cheek twice and tell yourself that ice cream is just frozen milk anyway. So add in the remaining half-and-half and cream, wisking well to combine.
Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions with ice and salt, tossing random ice cubes to the dog who is certain she will die if she does not have one of those fantastic store-bought ice cubes to chew on for the entire 20 minutes the ice cream freezer is running.
Toss a few curse words at the machine every time it gets stuck on some random piece of rock salt.
After about 15 minutes, stop the machine and toss in two crushed packages (one box) of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Restart the machine, toss another ice cube to the dog, and let it run until the motor strains and slows to a stop.
Eat a small bowl with love and happiness, just the way Melissa would have.
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