Classic Chocolate Ice Cream

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and the scraped seeds and pod of the vanilla bean. Whisk together until the cocoa powder and sugar are fully dissolved.
2. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it is hot but not boiling and small bubbles appear at the edges, about 170°F (77°C). Remove from heat and remove the vanilla pod.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
4. Slowly pour about half of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.
5. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate mixture, stirring constantly.
6. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spatula, reaching 175°F (79°C). Do not boil.
7. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits.
8. Cover the custard with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
9. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 20 minutes until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
10. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up before serving.