Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Churn Time: 20 minutes
Chill/Freeze Time: 2 hours chill time for ice cream base, 6-8 hours after churn
Servings: 4 cups / 1 quart
Special Equipment: KitchenAid® Stand Mixer with whisk attachment; KitchenAid® Ice Cream Bowl attachment with dasher and drive; fine mesh sieve; airtight container for freezing
4 (67g) large egg yolks
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, separated
2 ¼ cup (550g) whole milk
⅓ cup (112g) heavy cream
¾ cup (100g) cocoa powder
⅓ cup (56g) bittersweet chocolate, small chunks
1 ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
⅛ teaspoon habanero chili powder
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the KitchenAid® Ice Cream bowl in the freezer for 24-hours.
Attach the whisk attachment to the KitchenAid® Stand Mixer. Add the yolks and ¼ cup of sugar into the mixing bowl, then turn to speed 4 and whisk for one minute - or until light and fluffy. Set aside.
In a saucepan, add the whole milk, heavy cream, and remaining ½ cup granulated sugar. Whisk to fully incorporate. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins steaming. Carefully remove ½ cup of the hot liquid and slowly pour it into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Then, pour the tempered yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly while adding. Increase the heat to medium. Use a pastry spatula to stir constantly, being sure to scrape the bottom to prevent scorching. Cook until mixture is thickened and coats spatula. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from the heat and add in cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, spices, and salt; whisk until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Immediately strain the custard into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the custard and chill for at least two hours.
When ready to churn ice cream, remove the Ice Cream Bowl from the freezer. Lock the bowl into place on the stand mixer, insert the dasher into the bowl, and pour in the chocolate custard base into the bowl. Lock the mixer head in place, turn speed to Stir, and set the timer for twenty minutes. When ice cream is done churning, spoon it into an airtight freezing container and freeze for six to eight hours before serving.
Chef’s notes:
You can use whichever ground chilis you prefer. This particular blend goes well with the dark chocolate. If you don’t like a lot of spice, you can cut the amount in half. You could also substitute milk chocolate or semisweet instead of bittersweet.
If using whole chilis instead of pre-ground powders: Remove the stems from the chilis. Separately grind them in a spice grinder/coffee grinder, then measure out for recipe. Save excess powder in an airtight container.