Tres Blueberry Stout Ice Cream

Ice cream is a forbidden item on my grocery shopping list.  If I buy it, chances are it will be gone within a couple days.  Häagen-Dazs, Ben and Jerry’s, even the cheap stuff from Meijer – it doesn’t matter.  It’s one of those few, special dessert items where I lack any semblance of self control.  So when my family came over for dinner a week ago, it was the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe and have someone else to help me polish off the leftovers.

The blueberry stout gives the ice cream a frothy texture, and the milk chocolate is smooth and sweet, but not so strong that you miss the slightly yeasty taste.  The most interesting thing about this recipe is the blueberry flavor is even more pronounced in the ice cream than in the beer itself, without even adding any addition blueberry flavoring to the recipe.  Don't ask me how this happened.  It just did and I am more than okay with that.


For this recipe, you will need:

7 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.  

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer over the milk chocolate, then stir until the chocolate is melted. 

Once the mixture is smooth, whisk in the cream, then the beer and vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

This recipe makes about one quart.