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Dark Chocolate Stout Ice Cream (American Craft Beer Week)
May 21, 2010
To those who love it, beer is many things - a refereshing drink on a hot day, a welcome ending to a stressful day of work, a reason to bring friends together, an icebreaker, or an artistic expression.
Beer lovers from around the country are basking in the glory of the brew this week (May 17 - May 23) celebrating American Craft Beer Week. All week long, breweries, bars, restaurants, and beer stores in the United States are honoring the craft of brewing. In New Orleans, several bars are offering beer tastings and specials. With so many beers out there to try, how will I choose? Ales, lagers, porters, stouts, wheat beers...yum. Check out the American Craft Beer Week website for more information on happenings in your area.
As my contribution to the beer week celebration, I decided to make a beer-inspired ice cream - Dark Chocolate Stout ice cream. The chocolate and coffee notes in stout pair wonderfully with cream and bittersweet chocolate. So raise a glass this weekend and celebrate the "living liquid history made from passionate innovators." Enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Stout Ice Cream
The stout I used in this recipe is Young's Double Chocolate Stout, one of my favorites. I know, it's not American, but it's what I had in the fridge. Feel free to use an American stout, like Rouge Chocolate Stout, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout or Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, or any other stout of your choice.
3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
3 Tablespoons (25 g) cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (180 ml) stout
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chop chocolate and place in a medium bowl.
Combine heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk mixture frequently until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour mixture over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in milk, then stout and vanilla extract.
Chill the mixture thoroughly (at least 4 hours or overnight). Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place plastic or parchment over ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Reader Comments (2)
Okay, I'm definitely going to have to make this one. My husband loves stout. But I'll have to get him to buy another bottle or two of chocolate stout--I think he drank the last one recently. =)
WOW, what a combo! Very nice! SOOO chocolaty too! Good job!