Chocolate Silk Ice Cream

This chocolate silk ice cream is named perfectly — it’s smooth as silk and easy to eat. Whenever chocolate ice cream is called for, this fills the bill. You do need an ice cream freezer to make this dessert, so if you don’t have one, you’re out of luck.

Credit: Keith Ovregaard/Cole Group/PhotoDisc

Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Yield: 8 servings (1 quart)

1 1/2 cups milk

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large heavy-duty saucepan.

   Discard the whites.

2. Add the milk to the saucepan.

3. Whisk together to break up the egg yolks.

4. Add the sugar and stir.

5. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it’s thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes.

6. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

7. Sift the cocoa.

8. Stir the cocoa into the mixture until well blended.

9. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cool.

10. Blend in the cream and vanilla.

11. Cover tightly and chill thoroughly.

    Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

12. Process in an ice cream freezer following the manufacturer’s directions.

13. Store the ice cream in a tightly covered container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

14. If frozen solid, soften in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Per serving: Calories 362 (From fat 234); Fat 26g (Saturated 16g); Cholesterol 168mg; Sodium 49mg; Carbohydrate 31g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 5g.