WHITE CHOCOLATE WITH ALMOND–COCOA NIB BRITTLE
Technically, white chocolate is not really chocolate, as it does not contain any cocoa solids. Overwhelmingly, most white chocolate is a low-grade, poor-quality confection that tastes sickly sweet and waxy, but when you find high-quality white chocolate, you realize how delicious it is! Unfortunately, white chocolate has gotten a bad rap over the years, because most of it is now manufactured with hydrogenated or other low-grade fats. When properly made—with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids—it is absolutely delicious.
With this ice cream, we wanted to officially kick off the white chocolate redemption. We make a cocoa-butter-based custard and throw in some Almond–Cocoa Nib Brittle toward the end of churning. We’re pretty sure this ice cream just might make you see white chocolate in a whole new light.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Immersion blender
FOR THE ALMOND–COCOA NIB BRITTLE
Very cold butter, for the baking sheet
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick/56 grams) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (60 grams) brown rice syrup
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
¾ cup (75 grams) sliced almonds
6 tablespoons (30 grams) cocoa nibs
1 teaspoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns
FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
½ cup (100 grams) cocoa butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. To make the almond–cocoa nib brittle, lightly butter the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper trimmed to fit and very lightly butter the paper as well.
2. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and brown rice syrup with ¼ cup water; stir everything together so all the sugar is wet. Cook the mixture over high heat until it turns dark amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda, followed by the salt. The caramel will rise and bubble.
3. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the almonds, cocoa nibs, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the prepared baking sheet and use the back of the spoon to spread it to a thickness of about ¼ inch thick. Let cool completely.
4. Take a piece of the cooled, hardened brittle and place it in a plastic bag. Using a mallet, break the brittle into little pieces; you will need about ⅓ cup (34 grams) of broken brittle for the ice cream. Reserve the rest for snacking. The brittle will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
5. To make the white chocolate 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.
6. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Set aside.
7. 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.
8. Strain the custard into a bowl and stir in the cocoa butter and vanilla. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquid until emulsified. Set 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.
9. 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 reserved ⅓ cup (34 grams) brittle 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.