This is a recipe adapted from an old Ben & Jerry's ice cream book. It's a fun book, but you won't find the exact recipes for Phish Food or Netflix and Chill. Instead, you get some old school basic ice cream recipes that call for raw eggs. This is a recipe I made based on one they call dark chocolate ice cream.
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
The Ben & Jerry's book has two different chocolate ice cream, one light and one dark. This one is dark compared to their lighter dark, but if you want it really dark like the photo above you have to incorporate very dark cocoa powder such as black cocoa powder. The darker version is striking and very tasty, but the ice cream is great with just regular Dutch process and no black cocoa.
Higher Ratio of Milk and Whole Eggs
One thing I like about the Ben & Jerry's chocolate ice cream recipe is there's a higher ratio of milk to cream and it calls for whole eggs rather than yolks. This lightens the ice cream a bit. It's still rich tasting, but not over the top rich like some homemade ice cream recipes. The catch is you have to deal with the raw eggs. If I'm making a batch for myself I just use raw eggs and take the risk. If making for others, I pasteurize the eggs using the method below.
How to Pasteurize The Eggs at Home
Using pasteurized eggs from a carton is the easiest way, but if you don't have any and want to try pasteurizing your own, here's a basic method. It's simple, but you need to pay close attention to the temperature of the water so that you don't accidentally cook the eggs.
- Have ready a bowl of ice water.
- Put the eggs in a large saucepan and add water so that it comes up an inch over the eggs.
- Stick a deep fry thermometer in the saucepan and slowly heat the water over medium low to 140 degrees F. Do not let it go over 142F. Depending on the material of your saucepan and your range, you may be able to just turn the heat off at about 141 and let sit. But the water has to stay at 140.
- Maintain that 140 degree heat for 3 ½ to 5 minutes, moving the eggs around gently to avoid hot spots.
- Transfer eggs to water bath to quick cool.
When you crack the eggs, they may have white streaks of milky partially cooked looking egg white. Even though there are white streaks, they should fully blend with the sugar.
Brownie Chunks
The old Ben & Jerry's book has a recipe for brownies which you may or may not want to put in your ice cream. That recipe is pretty rich and the brownies get lost in the ice cream. I have discovered that the best brownie chunks for ice cream, at least in my opinion, are brownies with less fat. My go-to recipe for ice cream brownie chunks is actually this one. The chunks stay firm and chewy in the ice cream.
Here's the ice cream recipe. It's very easy, but it does require some chill time because the chocolate mixture is heated. If you like the recipe and want more, here's a link to the book.
Recipe
Ben and Jerry's Inspired Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (56 grams)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder (40 grams)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk (12 oz/340 grams)
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs or equivalent pasteurized eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (8 oz/230 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon vodka (optional)
Instructions
- Begin melting the chocolate along with ¼ cup of the milk in the top of a double boiler or in a heavy saucepan. Stir until chocolate is melted, then add the cocoa powder and gradually whisk in remaining milk. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.
- Combine the sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium high speed for two minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
- Whisk in the salt, the cold cream and vanilla, then cover bowl loosely and chill until very cold -- about 2 or 3 hours.
- When ready to churn, whisk in vodka (if using)
- Transfer to your ice cream maker and freeze using the manufacturer's directions.
- This should make about 2 pints of ice cream, though it may vary a little depending on if you use chunks of chocolate or brownie and how much air you whip into the base.
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