Mocha Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Whisk together granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and fine sea salt in a medium saucepan.
2. Add heavy cream and whole milk to the saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved but not boiling.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth.
4. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
5. Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan with the cream mixture.
6. Add instant espresso powder and whisk until dissolved.
7. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 170-175°F (77-79°C). Do not boil.
8. Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and cocoa lumps.
9. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.
10. Let mixture cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
11. Once chilled, churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for 3 hours or until firm before serving.