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We both have automatic ice cream makers ready to go in our cabinets. Up until now, though, they’ve been just been chilling on the shelves, collecting dust. We were so excited when we each got ours, but after churning one or two varieties of homemade ice cream, for whatever reason the batches just stopped coming. Recently, we’ve come to our senses, brushed off the gadgets, rolled up our sleeves and got to work. It’s summertime for crying out loud! We could be enjoying homemade frozen yogurts, fresh sorbets, and endless ice cream flavors. No more excuses.
To re-institute the fun, we wanted to whip up something slightly different. Generally speaking, we both love rich, buttery ice cream flavors. For Chrystal, a Butter Pecan or caramel anything will do the trick. And Amir loves him some simple, boring vanilla –-Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla, Double Vanilla, Creamy Vanilla, any kind of vanilla will do. There were a couple of bars of dark chocolate in the pantry, and a double chocolate recipe immediately came to mind. This recipe mixes melted chocolate and cocoa powder in order to save one of the bars to add chocolate chunks in the ice cream. If that’s not enough, there were some peanut butter cup pieces thrown in because, well, it seemed like the only logical thing to do. The finished dish had us dancing around the kitchen and kissing our abandoned ice cream makers. Don’t be like us and make yourself lose out on the infinite possibilities that these genius appliances can churn out. Making ice cream actually couldn’t be easier! Dear Cuisinart, we promise to never forsake you again.
Double Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups – Yields 1 1/2 quarts (inspired by Alton Brown)
3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups heavy cream
3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter cups, chopped
3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1. Melt the whole dark chocolate bar over a double boiler. (Make your own double boiler by setting a heat-resistant, metal dish over a pot of simmer water.) Slowly whisk in half-and-half and heavy cream until well combined. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring often as it cooks, then remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and sugar. Set aside. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a large mixing bowl until their color begins to brighten, approximately two minutes. Slowly add the cocoa-sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
3. Mix in about one-third of the warm chocolate mixture to the eggs and sugar. Once mixed together, scrape the eggy liquid back into the saucepan with the remaining warm ingredients. Over low heat, cook mixture to thicken, stirring frequently. It should reach about 170 to 175 degrees, or be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 30-45 minutes. Once cool, stir in the vanilla, place in a glass or plastic lidded container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. When ready, churn cooled mixture in your ice cream maker according to the appliance instructions, about 25-30 minutes. Fold in the peanut butter cups and dark chocolate. Serve immediately or freeze for 4 hours to allow ice cream to firm.
Click HERE for the printable recipe.
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Oh wow! I’ll get myself an ice cream in the summer!
I am with Amir any kind of vanilla suits me just fine!- classic
I’m saving this one to try. I haven’t made any ice cream this year yet, but then it has rained a lot and I am more in the mood of ice cream on a sunny day. We don’t have peanut butter cups here, but I could add something else instead. Can I ask, is half in half, milk or cream?
Yes, it is half milk and half cream. You can make your own anytime!
Oh, crud. Ice cream attacked me 2 times this past weekend. And now you show me some beautiful ice cream. I am being victimized. ((burp))
Yummy! I LOVE making ice cream with my ice cream maker. Thanks for this recipe, alton brown is the best!
y’all got me at the peanut butter cups!
i am with Amir tho. i luv vanilla ice cream. i also like every other kind of ice cream. just made me some fresh strawberry this weekend.
I love that you have two ice cream makers between you, how sweet. Do you two not live together? Somehow in my imagination I always thought you did. Also love that you have different preferences.
No, we don’t live together. Just friends.
Peanut butter cups, in my experience are ALWAYS the logical thing to do. This looks amazing!
I have made one batch of ice cream with my ice cream maker. Need to change that. Pronto.
I love, LOVE, chocolate and peanut butter together. This recipe sound like a keeper. Congrats on your re-entry to ice cream making!
Yummie…ice cream…I still do not own an ice cream maker…
Your ice cream makers “have been chilling”…lol! Well, I’m glad you brought ‘em out – nothing beats summertime homemade ice cream. Chrystal, I’m with you – love the caramel.
Wow, this looks great. I’m drooling over the thought of having a spoonful!
I like your logic – pb cups do belong in chocolate ice cream! I’m a sucker for pretty much all ice cream which is why it is a bad bad BAD idea for me to make it for myself. I can’t help myself when there’s a pint in the freezer!
I want an ice cream maker. Sob.
These sound dreamy. The good part about not having the machine is that I can’t gain the ice cream weight. I still would love to make these wonderful flavors.
Well guys, now you’re talking my language…..LOVE ice cream, love the peanut butter choc combo that Americans all go gaga over…(American in a previous life I think!)
An ice cream that has four chocolate ingredients in it is my kind of ice cream! I’m tempted to make ice cream sandwiches out of this ice cream and peanut butter cookies.
Sorry, let me wipe off my drool from your blog. Pardon the mess.
This just spells T R O U B L E! Big time, for me.
I want me an ice cream maker!!!! AHHHHH!!!! LOL.
I so need an ice cream maker looks like fun and yummy
Peanut butter cups in ice cream form…swoon! Bookmarking this to make before the end of summer!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Chrystal & Amir and Chrystal & Amir, thespiceguy. thespiceguy said: RT @TheDuoDishes: It's time for ice cream. Chocolate ice cream. With peanut butter cups inside. http://ht.ly/2nkyM [...]
i JUST bought myself one and made my first batch this weekend! So tasty!!
Yummy ice cream! I love your addition of pb cups!
Oh wow,that looks good
Yum! PB choco ice cream is my favorite! I really want an ice-cream maker now!
Live the idea of peanut butter cups in chocolate ice cream. A perfect flavor combination.
We love our Cuisinart ice cream maker. I should be using it more often too. Our favorite is a french vanilla base with toffee bits added in.
OMG, that ice cream looks so irresistible and incredibly delicious! I’d love to have such an ice cream maker.
Cheers,
Rosa
Tell me more about your ice cream maker. Mine is o.k but nothing to rave about.
that alton brown ice cream recipe is my go to for everything…i use it as a base for all kinds of ice cream creations. it never fails me. looks good girl!
This is a fantastic recipe. I make ice cream frequently, but for some reason, never chocolate. Now I want this.
Waw,..what a stunning ice cream this surely is!!
Now, I want to savour 5 ice cream balls right at once,…mmmmmmmmmmm!!
For shame letting an ice cream maker collect dust lol. Glad you got it out and what a great start! My machine is always ready to go!! May try this recipe soon.
YUM! This ice cream looks fantastic!
Oh man this looks delicious!
Everything here looks so yummy! And your photographs are beautiful.
I recently launched my own blog http://www.prettygoodfood.com I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think! Thanks and Happy Cooking!
Um, YUM! My favorite ice cream for sure, well, anything with peanut butter added to it! How refreshing and it’s almost summer time! Perfect.
[...] planed might get rained out. This was a good thing, since we did end up diverting the party. I made Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Ice Cream and it was universally [...]