Here's to a Happy 2010!

Happy New Year! I really hope 2010 will be a much better year for everyone who reads this. Personally, I'm really thankful for how 2009 has turned out. It has so much potential to become a total disaster year for me, but it wasn't so. There were many sweet moments that touched me, caused me to believe there's so much more to look forward to rather than keep looking back at all the wrong that has happened. Plus, more than a handful of people told me this: "2010 is going to be a great year for you" and I truly believe it will be so :).

My colleagues gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas...so sweet! Well, being a total ice cream newbie, it took me two tries to get it to the right consistency. But even so, I think it can be done much better. If I'd known how difficult it was to photograph this finicky dessert, I wouldn't even have attempted. It was melting so quickly under this hot hot hot Singapore weather and my lack of scooping skills didn't quite help. Well well, this is the best I can do for now (referring to the melted brown mess :P). All I can say is, I think it tastes absolutely delicious! Melt or not, it doesn't quite matter...I'm happy!

The recipe came from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. I've read so many rave reviews about this book but never had the urge to buy it as I didn't have an ice cream maker. Now that I actually own one, my eyes suddenly twinkle at the sight of this book. The resultant chocolate ice cream was decadently rich and smooth. Some might find it too bitter with 68% dark chocolate but I loved it. The chocolate flavour was very intense and satisfied my chocolate craving for the day, which seldom happens. I think I'm just beginning to fall in love with making my own ice cream :).

Chocolate Ice Cream

adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

3 tbsp unsweentened cocoa powder

5 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Valrhona 68%)

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

5 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Warm 1 cup of cream with cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking thoroughly to blend the cocoa. Bring to boil then reduce heat and gently simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth. Stir in the remaining cup of cream.

2. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Set the mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

3. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat making sure to scrape the bottom and corners until the mixture thickens to resemble a custard consistency.

4. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate till smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until the mixture is cooled thoroughly, then freeze it in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to freezer box and freeze for 4 hours to firm before serving.


Yields 1 quart.