WHITE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

SOURCE: MARCEL DESAULNIERS. DEATH BY CHOCOLATE: THE LAST WORD ON A CONSUMING PASSION.

Marcel Desaulniers’ recipe for White Chocolate Ice Cream bypasses the heavy cream, which, when excessively added, can outweigh and overwhelm its original purpose of granting a light and smooth body to the ice cream. In its stead is a higher white chocolate content wherein the intrinsic chemistry of cocoa butter not only compensates for the dairy fat needed in enveloping and lubricating ice crystals and immobilizing air packets within during freezing and churning but also accentuates the white chocolate essence and produces the desirably rich and glossy ivory sheen.

Ingredients

12 ounces/340 grams premium-quality white chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce/14-gram pieces

3 1/4 cups/780 mL whole milk

1 cup/200 grams sugar

3 eggs

OPTIONAL: Fresh or frozen berries for garnish

Specific Equipment

Medium-sized mixing bowl

Small saucepan

Rubber spatula

Large and deep-bottomed saucepan

Stand mixer equipped with a large bowl and paddle attachment

Wire whisk

Digital test thermometer

Large bowl wide enough to contain and hold the stand mixer bowl

Ice cream maker set to the instructions of the manufacturer

2-quart/1.9-L plastic container equipped with a lid

Makes 1 1/2 quarts/1.4 L

Instructions

1. Melt the white chocolate and 1/4 cup/60 mL milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. Remove both the bowl and small saucepan from heat. Stir the white chocolate and milk altogether with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and well-blended. Set aside by keeping the bowl of white chocolate warm over the saucepan.

2. Stir 3 cups/720 mL milk and 1/2 cup/100 grams sugar in a large and deep-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, until the sugar completetely dissolves. Bring to a boil.

3. Beat the eggs and 1/2 cup/100 grams sugar with a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment under high speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until the eggs have slightly thickened and have turned pale yellow.

4. Pour the boiling milk gradually into the beaten eggs, whisking the resulting custard constantly with a wire whisk until well-blended. Return custard to the deep-bottomed saucepan, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula under medium-high heat for 2 to 4 minutes or until the digital test thermometer reads 185°F/85°C and the mixture has slightly thickened enough to coat the spatula.

5. Remove the saucepan from heat and pour the mixture back into the stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the white chocolate to the custard until well-blended.

6. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and cool the stand mixer bowl over the ice-water bath for 15 minutes or until the digital test thermometer reads 40 to 45°C/5 to 7°C.

7. Freeze and churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the instructions of the manufacturer or until the ice cream reaches a semi-frozen state. Transfer the ice cream to a plastic container and cover the container securely and tightly with a lid. Place the container in a freezer for several hours or overnight. Serve with fresh or frozen berries, if desired.