Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Toffee Crunch

Have an ice cream machine? Good. Have The Perfect Scoop? No? Get it. Really.

Don't have an ice cream machine? Then buy this book for a friend who does and visit often.

I marked about a bajillion recipes from this book and so far have tried the Chocolate Gelato and the Frozen Yogurt  and they were both home runs. Back in the day I would not consider trying a Milk Chocolate ice cream largely because I considered Milk Chocolate to be the lesser chocolate. Now, however, with a milk chocolate loving husband it made perfect sense to give this a shot and I am SO glad I did. I am also glad that I took his suggestion of mixing in chopped Skor/Heath bars. The chocolate covered toffee chunks make this chocolate ice cream extra fun to eat especially when you top it off with some luscious warm chocolate fudge... MmMm..!

David Lebovitz suggests making this with the best quality milk chocolate you can find with at least 30% cocoa solids. I am not sure where it ranks, but I cheapo-ed out and used Presidents Choice brand Milk Chocolate and I am quite pleased with the results. Also even if you are not a milk chocolate fan I suggest you give this a try, it is very different from the mildly flavored cloyingly sweet commercial milk chocolate ice creams.

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Toffee Crunch
Makes 1 Liter
8 ounces (230g) milk chocolate roughly chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
2 skor bars chopped

Before starting figure out how you will set up your ice bath and make sure you have ice on hand. In a pinch very very cold water works.

Set up a double boiler over medium heat and combine the milk chocolate and cream, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside with a mesh strainer over the top.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks whisking constantly and then scrap the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heat proof spatula. David Lebovitz says to do this until the mixture coats the spatula. My preferred test for doneness is this: when the mixture coats the back of the spoon then run a finger over the back. The ice cream is done cooking when the 'track' left by your finger swipe takes more than 5 seconds (count slowly) to fill back up.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the chocolate mixture and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture for 8 hours or more and then churn as per manufacturers directions. Add in your mix in of choice in the last few minutes of churning. I found this ice cream to be a little softer than most and had to freeze it for a few hours after churning to firm up.

Top with your toppings (s) of choice and enjoy. Why sprinkles you may ask? Because they make me happy. Duh.

Please note how I so admirably resisted the urge to lick the bowl clean. I really don't get why I am not losing more weight... lol!