Endless Ice Cream: Hot Pepper!

This is an ice cream I created specifically to adorn brownies. Even more specifically, the Ancho Chile Brownies found in Robb Walsh’s Texas Eats, our most recent cookbook club pick. The ice cream is sweet and mellow at the start, and then swiftly kicks your throat’s balls with a spiciness that lingers only for a few seconds, keeping your spoon digging for more. It played perfectly with the brownies, but any chocolate pairing would work well.

Hot Pepper Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 dried chile pods, crushed (I used Tien Tsin, which are about 60,000 Scoville heat units)
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns (about 30 peppercorns)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 eggs yolks

Method

1. In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, cream, sugar, chile pods, peppercorns and salt. Heat just until it starts to steam.  Remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 45 minutes. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve.
2. Return to the saucepan and bring back to just steaming. Slowly drizzle the hot cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Strain through a mesh sieve and cool over an ice bath. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, up to 3 days.
3. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Store in a shallow container, covered with plastic wrap and an airtight lid, for up to 2 weeks. Serve over your favorite brownies.

Find all of our ice cream recipes in Endless Ice Cream