In search of German chocolate ice cream

I have always liked German chocolate cake not for the cake itself, but for the wonderful filling! I could eat a plate of the stuffing without any problem! A few years ago, I “discovered” Haagen Dazs German chocolate ice cream and tried it. It was, needless to say, delicious. However, my enjoyment was short-lived because it was just a seasonal flavor. Over the next several years, I faithfully checked the Haagen Dazs display at EVERY grocery store I visited, but to no avail. I only found it one more time, just enough to satisfy my taste buds! Then, a few months ago, while visiting my neighborhood Smith’s, I came across a German chocolate ice cream labeled “Private Selection” from the supermarket. I bought it and couldn’t wait to get home to try it out. My emotion, unfortunately, did not last long; the taste was well below my expectations. I finally realized that the only way I was going to get any gratification for my ice cream craving was to make it myself.

Making this special ice cream involves a two-step process: creating the German chocolate filling and preparing the chocolate ice cream. I immediately went to look for recipes. I make German chocolate filling in my kitchens at work, but I don’t need twenty pounds! I had to find a recipe with a considerably lower yield. I visited various websites and found similar recipes. Since I knew what ingredients the recipe should contain, I chose one from Allrecipes.com that matched my criteria. For the ice cream portion, I modified a recipe that I selected from Mable and Gar Hoffman’s 1981 book, “Ice Cream.” I substituted a smaller volume of Half and Half for regular whole milk for a richer ice cream. The end result was delicious and a fitting substitute for the Haagen Dazs version I craved so much. Although ice cream is easy to make and requires a few more steps, it’s worth the effort in my opinion.

As a side note, when I try this recipe in the future, I’ll only cook the German chocolate filling to about 170 degrees. I will also consider using a piping bag and placing it on the finished ice cream that I just took out of the machine. This procedure might give me a stickier filling to bite into instead of a firmer chunk.

German chocolate filling

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks

3 egg yolks

1 cup of grated coconut

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and egg yolks on top of a double boiler or in a large metal bowl. Add the chunks of butter. Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and reaches 180 degrees on a thermometer. Remove from the water and add the coconut, walnuts, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, then place in a smaller bowl or plastic container and cover by placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling. Refrigerate overnight. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and place the filling in teaspoon-sized piles on the pan. Freeze for at least two hours.

An important note: when I prepare a German chocolate filling, either at home or at work, I prefer to cook it in a double boiler rather than in a pot directly over the fire. This allows me to do other things while the filling is cooking besides standing on it and stirring. It also minimizes the risk of overcooking and scrambled the egg. While the filling is cooking, I prepare the base of the ice cream.

Chocolate ice cream

1-1 / 3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 cup whole milk

2 half cups

2 eggs beaten

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Trader Joe’s 70% chocolate bar – remember, better quality chocolate makes better tasting ice cream)

4 oz. evaporated milk (if you buy a 12 oz can you will use 8 oz in the filling recipe and the rest in this recipe)

1 cup of whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to simmer. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Add about half of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, then pour it back into the remaining hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer. Add the evaporated milk, the whipped cream and the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cool (you could technically use the mixture after it has reached room temperature, but it will take longer to freeze). Pour the mixture into the ice cream pot and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the mixture is freezing, place a large metal container in the freezer. Loosen the pieces of German chocolate filling from the wax paper. When the ice cream is ready, place it in the container that you stored in the freezer and add the pieces of German chocolate filling. Put in a container and let the ice cream harden. Enjoy!