Happy Birthday, Guinness! (Guinness Dark Chocolate Ice Cream)

Guinness turns 250 years old this week!  Hurray!  So, since I need no better excuse, Desserts for Breakfast here is taking a break from the scheduled programming and turning to a week of celebrating this awesome dark beer.  So, welcome to Guinness Week!

Okay, so it actually started out very serendipitously.  I had planned to get back to ice cream making after a month or so of being away from it (due to traveling and catering orders), and I'd decided to make chocolate ice cream.  But, right as I flipped open David Lebovitz's awesome ice cream book, the book fell open to Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, and I *had* to try it.  It was only later that night once my custard was cooling in the fridge did I find out that it's Guinness's birthday this week--hence, perfect timing!  This has spurred quite a Guinness obsession in the house, and there's more Guinness goodness to come.

Guinness-dark chocolate ice cream

But, as much as I <3 David Lebovitz's book, I do prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate.  And the ice cream came out great despite the substitution.  This was such a rich, creamy ice cream with a great added depth from the Guinness.  Definitely something worth having around for Guinness week!  (btw, I also made a vanilla bean ice cream later that day to go with the Guinness-chocolate. It's a perfect companion and helps mild out some of the alcoholic flavor, if that's not your cup of tea.)

Read on for the recipe....

Guinness Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

makes ~1 quart/liter

7 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup Guinness

1 tspn vanilla extract

1. Place chocolate in a large bowl with a strainer.

2. In saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and salt.  Bring to almost a boil.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Temper the yolks with some of the warmed milk, and then return to the saucepan.

4. Cook yolk and milk mixture over medium heat while constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and can coat the spoon/spatula.  Remove from heat immediately and pour through the strainer and into the chocolate.

5. Stir chocolate until it is melted.  Add cream, Guinness, and vanilla.  Whisk until combined.

6. Chill mixture thoroughly in the fridge, then freeze it in your ice cream maker of choice.  (Here's mine, which works like a dream, and I also have this one.)

Enjoy!