That's it. Easy as Sin Ice Cream

I can eat an unholy amount of ice cream. When I turned twelve and was first allowed to stay home alone after school until my mom returned from work, my after school snack was a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream and a bag of microwave popcorn. I trained my stomach at an early age to withstand overeating. Surprisingly, I was not an obese child, nor did I develop type 2 diabetes. However, the only thing anyone should have a half-gallon of in one day is water. So, I don’t recommend consuming as much as I’m capable of, but once you make your own, you will be hard-pressed not to.

 

 

 

Saying you make your own ice cream makes people’s eyes widen and say, “Wow, really?!” They think you’re a rock star. They think you slaved over that stuff. That you deserve to be on the next season of Top Chef. That you’re some kind of wizard in the kitchen. And you let them go on thinking that because no one needs to know that it's just as easy as making a box of instant pudding.

 

 

Making American-style ice cream is nothing more than whisking and freezing. Yes, you do need an ice cream maker, which is not a huge investment at all, even if you only use it once, it will be worth it. You can make more complex ice cream, called French-style, which involves tempering eggs and ice water baths, but this recipe is so good, why bother.

 

 

Aztec Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

This ice cream has an addicting kick. Different brands of Ancho chili powder yield different heat levels, start with a 1/4 teaspoon and increase to taste. Keep in mind that the heat will intensify as it sits over night in the refrigerator.

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons brandy

Whisk together the cream, cocoa, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisk until completely melted. Stir in milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, chili powder, and brandy. Working in batches, pour mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.
Chill mixture over night in refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.