Chicory Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Like many great discoveries, my first time drinking chicory root tea was a complete accident. It all started when my partner asked me to buy ground coffee at the store, telling me to get "whatever looks good." I'm not much of a coffee drinker and am perpetually absentminded, so this task was deceptively difficult. I stood in the aisle, staring into caffeine oblivion, for about 5 minutes before choosing what I thought was medium roast ground coffee.
The next morning, my partner seemed confused and asked why I had chosen that particular bag. Upon closer inspection, it turns out I did not buy a bag of coffee at all: I bought ground chicory root tea, a popular coffee replacement. We got a good laugh out of it and mused about the chances of buying the only non-coffee product in the coffee aisle, but were left wondering what to do with the tea grounds. Since chicory root tea doesn't contain caffeine, my partner wasn't too attracted to it. He left the chicory root tea’s fate in my hands.
I steeped the tea on its own every once in a while and liked it well enough, but eventually tired of the same old, same old. The bag was still plenty full, so I started experimenting. One of my first and most successful experiments came in the form of my favorite treat: ice cream! I was pleased to find that chicory root makes for a perfect ice cream flavor -- its nutty, floral, and bitter profile is the ideal complement to a sweet and rich ice cream base. I decided to play on the coffee-like flavor by adding a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate chunks. The addition of chocolate shards sends it over the edge, making this ice cream one of my favorite creations yet!
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 8 hours
Makes: about 2 quarts of ice cream
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup strong brewed chicory root tea
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon neutral oil
Methods
Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. For example, if you have the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, don't forget to place the bowl in the freezer the night before!
Place the heavy cream and half-and-half in a medium pot over medium-high heat to bring to a boil. While the cream mixture is heating, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl until well combined. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk again to combine.
When the cream mixture starts to boil, remove from heat. While whisking the eggs, slowly (just a few drops at a time) add the cream mixture to the eggs. To prevent the eggs from scrambling, be sure to whisk constantly and add the cream mixture super slowly. This process is called “tempering” the eggs.
Once you have added all the cream to the eggs, add in the tea. Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the sugar fully dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Refrigerate the mixture until completely cooled. This is very important because it will make your final product more creamy and less icy. This could take 2-4 hours depending on how cold your fridge is.
Once the ice cream base is completely cool, churn it according to your ice cream maker's instructions. When the ice cream is almost done churning, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted, add in the oil and stir. Drizzle the chocolate mixture into your ice cream maker just before the ice cream is done churning. This will create ribbons of chocolate throughout the ice cream.
Transfer the ice cream to containers, freeze until solid, and dig in! I froze my ice cream in two containers: one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and one 2-cup pyrex container. Using several smaller containers can help your ice cream freeze faster, but feel free to freeze in one larger container. This ice cream will last in the freezer for several months, so you can take your time enjoying every last bite!
Sustainability Tips
Dairy: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. You could also try out vegan dairy options if you're feeling adventurous, but keep in mind that I have not tested vegan options with this recipe.
Eggs: Local eggs are really easy to find if you look for them. Buying locally means your eggs won't have to travel as far, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
Sugar: I like to buy coconut sugar because it's easy to find fair trade varieties, but organic or fair trade granulated sugars are other sustainable options here. Read all about it in my sustainable cane sugars post!