After a lot of years' trying, I think I've finally made a good chocolate ice cream. This is by far the hardest standard flavor, and one that's usually just ok—if you're looking for both intense chocolate flavor and good texture.
The basic principles for were
-very good chocolate (I used Michel Cluizel Vila Gracinda single origin, 67%)
-very good cocoa powder, to increase the chocolate content without excessive amounts of cocoa butter (I used Michel Cluizel dutch process)
-low milk fat, to compensate for the added fat from chocolate (I went to 10% milk fat)
-no eggs. no need for yet another fat source
-all added sugar in the form of trimoline and dextrose. These sugars soften the ice cream, fighting the cocoa butter's hardening effects.
-lecithin as an emulsifier, since there are no eggs
-a stabilizer blend that's tweaked to get the texture right.
The results are pretty insane. My only complaint is that it's a bit like pudding when it melts in your mouth, but I'm not sure what to do about that. It IS pudding.
Formula for about 1L:
460g (1 cup 7 oz) whole milk
45g trimoline
50g cocoa powder (best quality)
65g dextrose powder
3g soy lecithin
1.2g salt
1.2g locust bean gum
0.6g guar gum
0.6g lambda carrageenan
130g (4.7 oz) bittersweet chocolate (best quality, 67–72% cocoa solids, chopped or in pastilles / chips)
240g (1 cup) heavy cream
10g vanilla extract (optional)
(Add trimoline to milk. stir together powdered ingredients. add to milk in blender, blending on highest speed for a minute. add chocolate. blend on high for 2 minutes to emulsify. briefly blend in cream and extract. cook to 80°C. homogenize for one minute in blender. chill. It's going to be very firm after aging. Zapping with the whisk attachment of a stick blender will thin it enough to spin in the ice cream machine)
I'll do a more thorough post on chocolate on the underbelly blog. Maybe after a couple of minor tweaks.
