it figures the appliance that gets the most use in our house, after the coffee maker, is the ice cream maker (poor juicer, he looks so sad every time i open the cabinet where he has been since the aborted juice cleanse of january 2014).
since i landed on the perfect ice cream base recipe to suit my taste, the ideas for flavors just keep coming. this week, i can't stop thinking of mexico (primarily due to another project in the works). i love mixing up real mexican cocoa when it's cold outside and i've always thought those strong flavors--dark chocolate, coffee, chili and cinnamon--would translate nicely to frozen treats too.
as i was making this recipe, i was working with what i had in my kitchen. i used the base recipe and then intuitively added ingredients, thinking i would need to adjust and refine the recipe on additional run-throughs. amazingly, the first batch was perfect and i'm not changing a thing.
taza mexican chocolate discs can be a bit pricey, but they are so worth it. the flavors are deep and complex and the product is organic. i used two whole discs in this recipe, one guajillo chili and one cinnamon. you can also use abuelita or iberra brands, available in most supermarkets or local mercados, but you may need to add more chili and/or cinnamon.
i had a tin of mano y metate mole dulce in the pantry. i ordered a few during winter to make mole poblano. this beautifully complex mix of chocolate, raisins and chilis is the best mole mix i have ever used. making a good mole is truly an art form and i am happy to leave it to the experts. you can use any mole dry mix in this recipe. i have not used the mole paste, but feel free to experiment.
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h o l y m o l e m e x i c a n c h o c o l a t e i c e c r e a m
ingredients:
- 3/4 cup organic whole fat milk
- 1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 discs mexican chocolate, grated
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 espresso cup brewed espresso
- 2 tbsp. mole mix
- toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds for topping
instructions:
- whisk together milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a sauce pan over med-low heat (do not allow to bubble)
- add the grated chocolate and stir until melted
- stir in the cocoa powder, espresso and mole mix
- transfer to glass container, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours up to 24 hours
- pour into your machine and churn for 20 minutes
- return to glass container and freeze for at least an additional hour (i froze this batch overnight and it was the perfect consistency)
- top with toasted nuts and enjoy
this ice cream is super chocolatey with a warm lingering of spice.
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