Almond Chip Ice Cream
Smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream studded with chocolate chunks and pieces of almond...better than any you can find in a carton!
There is a way that I can tell if a recipe is really, REALLY good. How? If my family (especially my sister) all love it. My sister (Rachel) loved this ice cream so much that I had to make it twice…not because I wanted to make ice cream again so soon, but because Rachel ate it all within a few days (with, ahem, a little help from my parents and I).
For the second batch, I warned everyone they were not allowed to touch it until I had taken photos and gave them the green light. Rachel kept asking when it would be ready, and she was more than happy to be a hand model so that she could finally have her ice cream as part of the deal. This ice cream is smooth and creamy, and the vanilla comes out delicious and well-balanced with the chocolate and nut. You really do need to let the vanilla base sit for a long time- it lets the flavor come together than makes it better than any ice cream carton I have ever had. We compared it to Brigham’s, and thought that the vanilla base itself was superior. Yes, it is that good.
Now, a few notes about the ingredients, to give you a better idea of what to expect. I made this ice cream with both semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate, to see which one tasted best. Hands down, the semi-sweet was preferred. Even if you know you like milk chocolate over dark, using semi-sweet gives the ice cream a better flavor profile because it contrasts against the nuts and the creamy vanilla more.
You are going to want to add in the chocolate and almonds when the ice cream looks like this- it should form solid masses of ice cream, and if you put a spoon into the ice cream you should be able to pick some up without it all dripping and drooping back into the rest. A spoon would also leave a trail if you held it into the ice cream; basically, the ice cream should keep its shape.
I kept my ice cream in a loaf pan for easier scooping. I later transfered the ice cream to a small container so it would take up less room in the freezer. It is fine to store this ice cream in freezer-safe plastic or other (metal, glass) containers.
Almond Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
~35 unroasted, unsalted almonds
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, milk, and salt. This can easily be done using a hand mixer.
Once combined, add the heavy cream and the vanilla extract, stirring by hand until evenly distributed.
Let the ice cream base rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours- this makes the vanilla so delicious in the final product. *Make sure to put your freezer bowl in the freezer, so it will be ready to make the ice cream*.
When ready to make the ice cream, pour the ice cream base into the machine and turn it on.
While the ice cream is beginning to freeze, chop up the following:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small (pea or chocolate chip sized) chunks
~35 unroasted, unsalted almonds; cut in half.
Once the ice cream has begun to form, about 10 minutes or so, and there are clear separate mounds forming, add in the chopped chocolate chop up the chocolate and the almonds.
Let the ice cream continue to churn until the add-ins are completely incorporated and the ice cream is the desired consistency.
Take out of the machine, and if soft-serve style is desired, eat within 12 hours. For a firmer ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer-safe air tight container and let it harden up a bit.
**This recipe is a Rooks to Cooks original. The recipe and all photographs are copyright Rooks to Cooks and may not be used without permission.
Posted on 6/25/14 by Kiley
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