ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM
One of the stories of how Rocky Road ice cream got its name has to do with the stock market crash of 1929; that the name was concocted in order to give the country “something to smile about” during the Great Depression. Other stories claim it was just a reinterpretation of the classic candy bar’s name. Whatever the real story is, few ice cream lovers can resist the allure of chocolate ice cream, homemade marshmallow, and sliced almonds. While it’s more common to use candied nuts, we found them to be a bit too sweet when combined with ice cream, and decided plain sliced almonds worked much better. And for a bit more crunch and flavor, we added cocoa nibs.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Stand mixer, candy thermometer, immersion blender
FOR THE MARSHMALLOW CREAM
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
½ cup (180 grams) Lyle’s Golden Syrup (see Sources)
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
FOR THE ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup (60 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, preferably Michel Cluizel (see Sources)
1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened dark chocolate (99% cacao), preferably Michel Cluizel (see Sources)
¼ cup Homemade Marshmallow Cream (recipe above)
2 tablespoons (12 grams) sliced almonds
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cocoa nibs
1. To make the marshmallow cream, in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar, golden syrup, salt, and ¼ cup water until combined. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 240˚F on a candy thermometer.
2. Meanwhile, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting with the mixer on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. (Be sure to have those whipped before the syrup is done.)
3. Once the syrup has reached 240˚F, remove it from the heat. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the syrup to the egg whites to temper them. Raise the mixer speed to medium and carefully drizzle in the remaining syrup, making sure that the syrup flows along and down the inside of the bowl (this will help cool the syrup before it reaches the egg whites). Raise the mixer speed to high and whip until the marshmallow cream is stiff and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and whip for a minute more. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. This will make about 8 cups.
4. To make the Rocky Road ice cream, pour the cream and milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk in ½ cup (100 grams) of the sugar and the salt and stir until they have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.
5. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar until uniform. While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks. Continue to add the dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you’ve added about half. Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler. Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard. If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.
7. Strain the custard into a bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is uniform. Using an immersion blender, buzz the custard until emulsified. Place the bowl over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
8. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles “soft serve.” Using a spatula, fold in the marshmallow cream, almonds, and cocoa nibs until combined. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately—it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.
ben’s note Spread leftover marshmallow cream over a sheet pan dusted with a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar. Dust the top of the marshmallow spread with the same mixture and allow to air-dry for several hours. Cut into small squares to enjoy marshmallows in your cocoa.