Armagnac Chocolate Super Soft Ice Cream

My liquor collection and I have been having a stare-down. I took action. This recipe contains a lot of fat and alcohol, so it will be very scoopable. I do not bother with only using egg yolks in my gelato-style ice creams because I don’t like risking an overly-yolky taste and the egg white adds so
me nice protein to the situation.

IN DA CAWFEE

INGREDIENTS

2 large whole eggs

¼ cup brown sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup chocolate sauce or chocolate ganache

¼ cup Armagnac (another brandy would work OK--Armagnac is just yum!)

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’oro) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Use a hand mixer to mix sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until yellow and thick, about 3 minutes. Heat heavy whipping cream in a large saucepan over medium heat until mixture bubbles just gently (not boiling).

Take about ¼ cup of the hot cream and pour into the sugar-egg mixture while beating with the hand mixer quickly. Add another ¼ cup slowly. Add another ¼ cup. Pour all back into the saucepan. Stir over medium heat until everything hits 170°. 

Stir in chocolate sauce or ganache, then espresso powder, then Armagnac and vanilla. Pour through a good sieve set over a bowl. As with other gelato style ice cream mixtures, reluctantly cover the bowl and refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight.

After six painful hours pass, stir, then throw into your ice cream maker. After the ice cream has formed in the maker, spoon into a small, shallow container with a tight lid. I like a plastic take-out box from our local Thai place. Cover and freeze until firm. 

Stir into your cup of coffee (if you’re having a rough morning--or not).