I hope you have an ice cream maker…
Homemade ice cream is a great summer (spring, fall, winter) treat! It’s so easy to fancy up for festivities, too — wrap the cones with pretty paper, or use sprinkles and other toppings to coordinate colors.
But, really, you don’t need to wait for a party. This German chocolate cake ice cream is so good! It has been more than a decade since my first (and last) taste of German chocolate cake ice cream at a long-gone Baskin Robbins in my parents’ neighborhood. I haven’t found the flavor since (though supposedly they still serve it), but they had the right idea, anyway. Chocolate? Coconut? Pecans? Yes, please!
Now, this isn’t intended to be a copycat recipe (it’s been 10+ years, after all). It’s just a delicious adaptation of a few German chocolate cake ice cream recipes found around the interwebs. Enjoy!
German Chocolate Cake Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups milk
3 ounces German sweet chocolate (substitute semi-sweet, if you like it dark)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon and 3/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) toasted
Caramel topping (optional)
1. In a saucepan over low heat, add the milk, chocolate, sugar, flour and salt. Heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally.
2. Take approximately 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture and add it to the egg. Then stir the egg mixture into the saucepan.
3. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
4. Refrigerate until chilled (or use the freezer to speed up the process — just don’t forget about it!).
5. Stir cream and vanilla into the chilled mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze for about 30 minutes, until it thickens to soft-serve consistency. (This is based on my Cuisinart, actual time may vary).
7. Add the coconut and nuts to the ice cream and let it mix for another minute or two, just until they are evenly distributed.
8. Serve immediately for instant gratification, or freeze 2 hours – overnight to “ripen.” Top with caramel sauce, if desired.