Smooth, rich, chocolate ice cream. Homemade ice cream is so decadent and delicious. The only part that really has a learning curve is separating the egg yolks from the whites. You can buy all sorts of gizmos for this, but I think the best tools are the ones you were born with: your hands. If you can crack an egg without breaking the yolk, you can separate eggs like a pro. Just pour the whole innards into one hand, and let the whites run between your fingers. Don’t aim for perfection; there’s always a bit of white that sticks to the yolk. And don’t try to pull off the chalazae – those squiggly white ropes that look like miniature umbilical cords. Pulling them off often results in a broken yolk, and you’ll get rid of them easily in step eight

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of this recipe, which I’ve adapted ever so slightly from Chowhound, at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

(Make sure to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least a day or two ahead of time)

1.) Place egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk briskly, until they are well combined and the mixture is pale yellow. Set aside.

2.) Heat cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until you get just a wisp of steam when you stir. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

3.) Break up the semisweet chocolate into small bits. I like to pound the still-wrapped bar with a meat mallet, but you could also unwrap it and chop with a knife.

4.) Add the chocolate bits to the cream mixture, whisking constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and thoroughly combined. Turn the heat down to low.

5.) Whisking constantly, slowly pour about a third of the chocolate cream mixture into the sugar yolk mixture.

6.) Now slowly pour all of this mixture, whisking constantly, back into the pot.

7.) Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 170℉. When you run your finger across the back of the spoon, the mixture will be thick enough to not run into the clear spot you just made.

8.) Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large freezer-safe bowl. No matter how well you separate your egg yolks, a bit of the white still clings to them. This step will strain out any non-yolk bits of egg, and assure you of smooth ice cream.

9.) Stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for a half hour or so to cool. If you want to hurry it along, you could put the bowl in an ice water bath. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

10.) Once the mixture is completely chilled, churn it in your ice cream machine for about 30 minutes, or whatever length of time the manufacturer of your machine recommends. Return it to the bowl, cover again, and place it in the freezer. When the ice cream finishes churning, it will be the consistency of soft-serve. A few hours in the freezer will take it the rest of the way to hard ice cream.