Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings


Guest Post - Paula Montenegro

I believe there are many who would agree with me that ice cream is good idea year round. Even in the dead of winter, if you have a fireplace or good heating, a bowl of ice cream can cure many dark evenings.

This particular ice cream is my attempt to find the best dulce de leche ice cream to make at home. I come from dulce de leche land, a country where it´s everywhere, in every form, shape and combination. We have it with fruit, flan, danish, toast, chocolate cake, and rice pudding. Nowadays, jars of this milky jam are found in most countries.

Our ice cream has a deep flavor and color. So the ratio to cream or milk is higher than you might suppose. I didn´t want a faint flavor and lots of cream, I set out to get a bold and defined flavor.

The right result is achieved using at least the same amount of dulce de leche as milk and cream. Using milk lightens it up a bit, though this qualifies as a decadent dessert every time.

I added some chocolate shavings in the mixture, right after I finished churning it. This way there´s no need to go through the hassle of making chocolate sauce and adding it to the ice cream while it churns, so that it hardens and gives you those thin pieces of chocolate throughout the ice cream.

I know that´s how it´s done, and of course you can do it that way, but this one is ridiculously easy. Just take a block of chocolate and cut it with a big knife as thinly as possible. You will get shavings instead of chunks. Some of it will be almost powdery. Just add it to the ice cream when you put it in the freezing container. When you eat it, the chocolate adds a lovely crunch and it´s bitterness cuts a bit through the sweet ice cream.

And of course let your imagination run wild and eat it with anything from toasted nuts, to strawberries, bananas, chocolate sauce or, if you´re like me, add some natural dulce de leche together with the shavings. Then you´ll have to call it dulce de leche ripple ice cream with chocolate shavings. You´re in for a treat.

DULCE DE LECHE ICE CREAM

1 ½ cups dulce de leche
¾ cup cream
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup chocolate shavings (about 1 oz)
In a bowl put the first three ingredients. Mix well with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. This depends a lot on the ice cream machine you have, so read the instructions.

Churn for 20 minutes. Check to see the consistency. Churn for an additional 10 to 20 more minutes.

Add chocolate shavings, mix a bit, not too much, transfer to a plastic container and keep in the freezer.
Yum