Friday Food Craft: Magic Chocolate Ice Cream

Make no mistake about it, the title here is not lying. This ice cream is magical. Don't have an ice cream machine? Don't have time to babysit your ice cream and stir it periodically while it is in the freezer? Good! This recipe requires no such thing. I found this recipe in a Cook's Country magazine (they have a tv show on public television as well, and I watch it all the time--they make some yummy stuff!). This is very easy, super delicious, and I believe everyone should try it at least once, if for no other reason than to brag to your friends you have home made ice cream. :)

You will need:

1 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee (I keep instant espresso powder in my cupboard just for baking--I add it to almost everything chocolate flavored. You don't taste the coffee, but it makes chocolate super awesome)
1 tablespoon hot water
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 pinch salt
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (the original calls for 1 1/4, but I had 1 1/2 cups so I used it all up and the ice cream was fantastic)

Start by dissolving your espresso powder in your tablespoon of hot water. I place them both into a larger, microwave proof bowl. Add in your chocolate* and the sweetened condensed milk, microwave on high for 10 second intervals and stir between each until all of the chocolate is melted and smooth.

*My husband thinks the ice cream is a little sweet, you could always use half bittersweet and half dark chocolate if you prefer.

Add in your vanilla and salt, stir to combine and allow to cool back to about room temperature (if you are careful you can get the chocolate to melt with extra stirring and it shouldn't be hot enough to melt your cream by the time it's whipped).

In a large mixing bowl, or with a stand mixer, whip your cream. Once the chocolate mixture is cool enough, add in 1/3 of the whipped cream and stir it together thoroughly. After it is incorporated, take the last 2/3 and gently fold it in. Be gentle and patient with this, you don't want to leave whipped cream streaks, but you want your ice cream to stay light and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into an air tight container and freeze for at least 6 hours, but it is better if you can leave it overnight. Serve. That's it! No machine, no stirring! It's a very creamy rich ice cream, I plan on experimenting to see if it works as well with a different flavor or the addition of chocolate chips, cookie dough, etc.

Also, I will not lie, if you didn't freeze it and just ate it in a chocolate cream pie, I wouldn't be able to hold it against you. Or forget the pie, eat it out of the bowl with a spoon. Go on, I won't look.