Stop the madness!!!

As a result of making the seven-minute frosting, I had three leftover egg yolks. When will this vicious cycle end?!? I took an ice cream request from the mothership and I bring you – orange chocolate ice cream! With chocolate flakes!

(And yeah, I rimmed that glass. I rimmed it real good.)

Orange Chocolate Ice Cream

3 cups half & half cream (10% MF)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 egg yolks
8 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
zest of one orange

Chocolate for flakes (you decide how much)

(Don’t let the long method scare you – there’s a lot of commentary in there.)

Heat cream, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, vanilla, espresso powder, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir/whisk to dissolve the sugar and to incorporate the powder and cinnamon.
Heat until steam appears and mixture is hot, but not boiling (175 F).

When cream is hot, whisk yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Mix in chocolate – it will stiffen, but make sure it is incorporated.

Add one cup of the hot cream mixture to temper the yolk mixture, this will also loosen the chocolate. Add another 1/2 cup of cream if it is still too stiff.

Add the tempered egg yolks and orange zest to the saucepan and cook the mixture until it has thickened and reaches about 180/185F on a thermometer (very hot – but not boiling).

Meanwhile, prepare a sieve over a medium bowl over an ice bath. Once the mixture has reached optimal temperature, strain it through the sieve and into the bowl. Chill until thoroughly cooled.

When chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. While it’s whirring away (or in my case, making a very loud turning motor noise – my maker wears a thick terry-towel hat, which is then covered with a large stainless steel bowl to reduce the noise. It also helps keep the heat in my kitchen away from the ice cream goodness), melt some chocolate.

It depends on how much/many chocolate flakes you want in your ice cream, I think I melted about…2 oz or so. Anyway, prepare a small cookie sheet, or plate even, by laying a sheet of wax paper on it. Pour the melted chocolate on top and spread it in a thin and even layer. Chill the freezer. About two minutes before you think the ice cream is ready, take the chocolate out from the freezer and crunch it up into small pieces (as small or big as you like, it will get crushed a bit in the turning motion of the machine regardless) and pour into the ice-cream maker. Let mix around for a minute or two – and voila!