Recipe: Kahlua-Brownie Ice Cream

Something odd happened the other week: I made The Brownies for a family gathering and ended up with leftovers.

I guess an entire pan of brownies is a bit much for six people who've just stuffed themselves on hamburgers and pie. Even after I sent a goodly number home with my aunt, I had over half a batch left to eat.

While it would've been fun to gorge, I knew there had to be a better solution. A healthier solution. Maybe I could make the brownies stretch if I incorporated them into another recipe. Maybe I could concoct an ice cream of some sort...

A healthier solution indeed.

Within the hour, I'd worked out a Kahlua ice cream recipe and settled on a brownie-to-base ratio that'd fill the finished product with delectable chunks whilst leaving a generous amount for regular consumption. From there, it was just a matter of waiting for my ice cream maker to freeze... and the custard to chill... and the mixture to churn... and the finished ice cream to firm up overnight...

The long wait was worth it. This stuff is delicious, y'all. If you like chocolate, coffee, and things that taste mildly alcoholic, you're bound to enjoy it.

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 2-inch coffee brownies (or, a little less than 1/4 of a pan), coarsely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Kahlua, to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Directions:

Combine the whole milk, sugar, salt, and Kahlua in a medium-sized pot. Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to steam.

Crack the two eggs into a medium bowl and give them a good beating. Add a few tablespoons of the warm milk mixture, stirring all the while, then slowly beat in about half of what's left.

Pour the egg mixture into the pot and return it to the burner. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is slightly thick.

Transfer the custard to a 1-litre measuring cup and chill it in the fridge for at least four hours.

Once the custard is good and cold, add the whipping cream and get your ice cream maker set up. Turn it on and pour the custard into the basin in a nice, even stream. Leave it for about thirty minutes, or according to manufacturer's directions for your particular model.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, I'm sure you can place the chilled custard in a large tupperware and stick in in the freezer. Remove it every half hour or so to beat it with a fork, then return it to the freezer immediately.

Once the ice cream is as thick as the machine can get it (or you've been beating it by hand for hours upon hours; really, I recommend you invest in a cheap ice cream maker), add your chopped brownies. Let the machine continue to churn for another minute or two until everything's nicely incorporated.

Unless you have a professional ice cream maker, the almost-finished ice cream will be runny. Transfer it to a large tupperware and leave it in the freezer overnight to fully harden.

It's great all by itself, but you're welcome to eat it with chocolate sauce if you'd like. Me, I think I'll experiment with a swirl of ganache next time I make it. The brownie topping seems like a prime candidate.