Butt Kicking Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream

OH YEAH.

David Lebovitz has done it again. I am swooning over yet another delicious ice cream creation. And I foresee this being Very Bad for the width of my hips.

Really -- if you can take a little heat -- this ice cream has a little bit of something for just about everyone.

Chocoholics, you'll love the deep dark smoothness and the not-too-sweet homage to the cocoa bean. Chile-heads, you'll adore the slow, smoky burn of the chipotle powder on your tongue. Spice fiends, if you like what a bit of nutmeg does for alfredo sauce, you'll agree that the cinnamon in here ROCKS. Overall ice cream fanatics, you'll appreciate the ultra smooth texture of this ice cream. And no, there are no fussy egg yolks involved.

Of course, it never hurts to start with some good quality ingredients -- like milk from the Sassy Cow Creamery. And bittersweet chocolate from the Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company.

The recipe is really quite simple. You start with a bit of cream and some good quality cocoa powder.
Place it on the stove and whisk it together until it comes to a nice rolling boil.
Be sure you've got the rest of your ingredients ready -- cuz you'll want to add them just as soon as you take this off the heat. If you're not fond of heat, you can downsize on the chile powder. Or use ancho chile powder -- which imparts a nice smoky flavor without so much bite.
Whisk everything (especially the chocolate) until smooth.

Add some whole milk. Then pour it into the blender and whizz it around for a while -- just to make sure it's REALLY smooth.
While you'll be tempted to drink the stuff right then and there (and you could... really), you should just put it in a bowl and place it in the fridge until it's really cold. Trust me, it's worth the wait.
When it's all nice and cold, you can put it in your ice cream maker. If you're lucky, you'll hit the jackpot in about 25 minutes or so. I'd advise tasting it right away -- but you can definitely put it in the freezer for a bit if you like your ice cream a bit more firm.

Whee.
This stuff is zippy. Like a little bitofa buzz for your tongue. And your throat. And your stomach. But you don't care. Cuz it's smooth. And chocolatey. And you can't help but think that this would make seriously kick *ss fudgecicles. If only you had some popsicle trays... Oh, well.

Yeah -- it's really that good.
You won't even want to share.

Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream
adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tsp chipotle powder
2 T cognac

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Whisk frequently until the cream comes to a full, rolling boil.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate, stirring until it is completely melted. Add the milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, chipotle, and cognac, stirring to combine. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smoooth.

Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.


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