Berry choc-chunk ice cream is perfect as a Valentine’s treat, but that’s not to say it’s any less delicious on another day. Jam is wonderful swirled into ice cream! Its high sugar content keeps it from freezing solid, so it’s a deliciously chewy ribbon in the frozen custard. You can make this with chocolate chips instead of hand-chopped chunks, but the variation in chunk size is, to our minds, part of the charm.
Recipe by Kate Shrire
Berry choc-chunk ice cream
Ingredients
- 500ml (2 cups) fresh cream, halved
- 4 egg yolks
- 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) full-cream milk, halved
- 120g sugar
- pinch sea salt
- 60g dark chocolate, chopped to slightly smaller than a pea
- 125ml (½ cup) good-quality berry jam
- sugar cones, to serve
- fresh mint, to garnish (optional)
- mixed berries, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Pour half of the cream into a bowl and place a sieve on top. Set aside.
In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.
Place the 100g chopped chocolate in a third bowl.
Heat half of the milk in a saucepan to 50°C on a sugar thermometer (if you don’t have a thermometer, that’s roughly as hot as you can bear to hold your finger in). Pour the warm milk over the 100g chopped chocolate. Let it stand, 5 minutes, before stirring to dissolve any remaining chocolate.
Place the remaining milk and cream together in the saucepan with the sugar and salt and heat over medium heat, stirring regularly, until it starts to steam. Whisk into the egg yolks, starting with a small stream of hot milk and cream initially – you don’t want to scramble the egg yolks by dumping the whole amount on top. Whisk constantly until all of the cream and milk is incorporated, then pour the custard mixture you have created back into the pot. Return to a low heat and stir with a spatula until it starts to thicken to the texture of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
Pour this mixture through the sieve into the cold cream. This will help to stop the custard cooking, and catch any pieces of eggshell or overcooked yolk. Stir this mixture with a clean spoon and mix in the melted chocolate mixture. Refrigerate to chill overnight.
Churn the mixture in your ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned, layer it with the dark-chocolate chunks and jam in the freezer-proof container you will store it in. Cover and place in the freezer until firm enough to scoop. If you do not have an ice-cream maker, place the mixture in a freezer-proof bowl and place in the freezer. Just before frozen (it will be thick, but still liquid), beat with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy. Layer in the chocolate and jam and return to the freezer until frozen completely.
Serve scoops of the ice cream in cones (or in bowls) garnished with fresh mint and berries, if desired.
Notes
Cook’s tip: If your jam is very thick, you can soften it before drizzling. Remove the lid and place the glass jar in a larger bowl. Fill the bowl with boiling water up to the shoulders of the jar and leave it for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The jam should reach a pourable consistency.
