The first time I went to Mexico, I had no idea that ice cream was such a popular treat there. I had always associated ice cream with Italy, France, and the United States. Who knew? During that first trip, and more than a few subsequent ones, I made it a point to try the more unusual flavors, like ice cream flavored with cheese, smoked milk, and kernels of corn, and even fried ice cream (which was delicious!). But as much as I enjoyed trying new ice creams, I always found myself going back to chocolate. Here’s a recipe inspired by those coarse chunks of chocolate for sale in Mexico. They taste nothing like the disks of Mexican “drinking chocolate” sold in America, which are mostly sugar and rather skimpy on the chocolate. For this ice cream, use real chocolate and add freshly ground cinnamon for the best flavor.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

　　2 1/2 ounces (70 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

　　2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) brandy

　　1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　4 large egg yolks

　　1 cup (135 g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

　　

Step 1

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the chocolates, cream, and brandy. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set a mesh strainer across the top.

　　

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

　　

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm milk-sugar mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

　　

Step 4

Set the bowl containing the custard over a larger bowl of ice water. Stir the custard until cool, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 5

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stir the almonds into the just-churned ice cream when you remove it from the ice cream machine.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.