If you were going to eat your very last meal, what would it be?
A lot of people probably aren’t as morbid as I am and therefore have not given this concept much thought. I, however, have thought about it extensively, and despite all the possible scenarios under which this “last meal” might occur (alien invasion, being on death row, brink of world annihilation, etc.), my selection remains constant: penne vodka.
Penne vodka is my favorite food/meal/dish/what have you. I would eat it at least once a week if I knew my metabolism could get away with it. (It can’t.) Funny story: there was a time back in high school when I pretty much did eat it once a week. It was glorious *smiles fondly* …until I tried on my prom dress a few months early, and…
IT. DIDN’T. ZIP.
After shuffling despondently around the house and crying out “I’m a cow!” at random intervals (sorry, Mom and Dad), I proceeded to eschew penne vodka for the next few months in order to fit back into my beloved prom dress. (Rest assured, it worked. The dress fit perfectly when the big day came. Whew!)
I still indulge in penne vodka from time to time, but, for the most part, I stay away from it because of its incredibly delicious and fattening cream sauce. However, should I KNOW for certain that my last day on earth is approaching, you better believe I’m tucking into the BIGGEST bowl of pasta you have ever seen. #noregrets
So, why isn’t this blog post called “Penne Vodka,” you ask? Because while I love this pasta dish, it is rather similar to Ziti ala Colucci, and I’ve already been there, done that. Also, it’s a matter of self-preservation: should I actually learn how to make a delicious penne vodka, what’s to stop me from making it all. the. time. ???? See above Prom Dress Situation. No need to repeat history, people.
I instead asked my husband what his last meal would be, and he said “ice cream.” Well, first he said “I don’t want to think about that” because he is way less macabre than I am. But, after I cajoled him a bit, he answered “ice cream.”
I mused over this for a little while and tried to think about how I could work ice cream into my book-inspired recipe for The Cabin at the End of the World. Tremblay’s novel definitely makes you think about last meals – last everything, really. (This is not a spoiler. It’s CALLED the cabin at the end of the world).
Andrew, Eric, and Wen head to the country for a nice family getaway, and they end up being terrorized. I feel for them — instead of fearing for their lives, they should have been playing board games, taking rambling walks, drinking hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire…
That’s when it hit me – HOT CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!
In this case, it’s Cinnamon Hot Chocolate ice cream, because I always make hot chocolate with cinnamon mixed into it. I first read about adding cinnamon in The American Girl series’ Samantha’s Surprise, and now it’s something I do quite often. Oh, and no cup of hot cocoa is complete without marshmallows, so there are those in this ice cream recipe, too.
Bear with me – this post, and this recipe, is going to be a little longer than usual. Making homemade ice cream isn’t difficult, but it is a bit time-consuming. It’s usually done over two days – you make the ice cream base (custard) one day and churn the ice cream the next – so it’s nice to be able to break up the work.
It also does require some particular kitchen accessories – namely, an ice cream maker. There are no-churn recipes out there, but I’m not a fan. If you want real creamy ice cream texture, get yourself an ice cream maker. I have this one, which is awesome because of the extra freezer bowl. I keep both freezer bowls in the freezer at all times so I’m ready to churn ice cream at a moment’s notice! (I live a life where such emergencies happen, yes.)
The other accessories needed for making ice cream are pretty average — you have most of them lying around your kitchen. But, here are some items that I specifically recommend having on hand:
–two batter bowls (aka, a bowl with a spout) – it makes pouring hot liquids way easier. Trust me. It’s also easier to have two on hand for the recipe. Again, trust me.
— a very fine mesh strainer. Even the best chefs curdle eggs a bit when making custard bases, and this utensil alleviates the worry of finding grossness in your finished ice cream. You need a very fine mesh strainer, the finest you can get. The one you use to drain pasta won’t cut it. I bought a special fine mesh strainer with a long handle that I keep just for making bases that require this straining step. It balances nicely on top of the batter bowls.
Making the ice cream base is very similar to making the custard for a mousse, with just a few extra steps. It’s a bit daunting the first time, but the good news is that it becomes easier the more you do it. That’s because all ice cream bases are essentially made the same way, even if the ingredients are different. So, once you’ve mastered the art of making the base, you can apply those badass skills to any flavor ice cream you want.
And, today, we’re making Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Ice Cream with Mini Marshmallows. This recipe uses two cocoa powders — regular unsweetened and Hershey’s Special Dark, which I’ve used before in my Howltown Blackout Cake – to create a base that tastes just like hot cocoa made with real milk over a stovetop. The cinnamon adds a warm coziness to the velvety chocolate, and the ice cream itself is ultra rich thanks to the five eggs yolks and heavy cream used in the custard.** The mini marshmallows create chewy little pockets of sweetness in each bite of the bittersweet, savory chocolate.
Follow my guide below, which I’ve written as though it’s someone’s very first time making ice cream. I highly recommend prepping things as I’ve listed below; ice cream is way easier to make when you have everything at the ready. There might be some skip-over-as-obvious steps in there for the pros, but the amateurs should find the directions helpful. Same goes for the photos – some of these aren’t the prettiest, but they’re instructive, and that’s what you’re looking for.
Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR DAY 1 (MAKING THE BASE)
- 5 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup 2% milk, divided
- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
INGREDIENTS FOR DAY 2 (CHURNING THE ICE CREAM)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
UTENSILS YOU'LL NEED -- DAY 1 (MAKING THE BASE)
- one fine mesh strainer
- one large, heatproof bowl with a pouring spout (Batter Bowl #1)
- one medium, heatproof bowl with a pouring spot (Batter Bowl #2)
- 2 large whisks
- one soup ladle
- one medium saucepan with handle
- one large bowl to fill with ice that Batter Bowl #2 can rest inside of without being fully immersed (Ice Water Bowl)
- one rubber spatula
- 12 ice cubes
- three potholders or trivets (Potholders #1, #2, #3)
UTENSILS YOU'LL NEED -- DAY 2 (CHURNING THE ICE CREAM)
- Ice Cream Maker
- one freezer-safe container that can hold 1 quart of ice cream
- Aluminum foil
- one large, hard spatula (to scrape ice cream from freezer bowl)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS DAY 1 (MAKING THE BASE)
- Put Potholder #1 on the countertop. Place Batter Bowl #1 on top of Potholder #1.
- Put Potholder #2 on the countertop immediately next to Potholder #1.
- Place the fine mesh strainer on top of Batter Bowl #2. Place this combo on Placeholder #3 a little further away from Potholder #1 and #2.
- Place your cube cubes into the Ice Water Bowl and fill halfway with very cold water. Set aside in a cool place.
- Place your ice cream freezer bowl into the freezer for tomorrow.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAY 1 (MAKING THE BASE)
- In Batter Bowl #1, whisk together the eggs yolks and 6 tbsp of the granulated sugar until thick and slightly foamy, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In the saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, the special dark cocoa powder, the cinnamon, and the remaining 6 tbsp of sugar. Measure out ¼ cup of the milk and whisk it into the saucepan with the cocoa powder, etc. Be sure to scrape the bottom edges of the saucepan to get all the dry ingredients mixed into the wet. When all is combined, the mixture should be smooth and dark, like brownie batter.
- Whisk in the remaining ¾ cup of milk, the cream, vanilla extract, and salt; this mixture will be lighter in color, like chocolate milk, and slightly thick.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and warm the mixture up until it’s just starting to simmer; this means tiny bubbles should just start appearing around the edges of the saucepan. The mixture will de-thicken right before it begins to simmer. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from stove to Potholder #2, next to Batter Bowl #1 containing the egg yolks.
- Use the soup ladle to carefully scoop out some hot liquid from the saucepan. Whisk the egg yolks to break them up a bit, then slowly stream the hot liquid into the egg yolks, whisking briskly the entire time to prevent the egg yolks from curdling. Once the first scoop is thoroughly whisked in, repeat process two more times, whisking the entire time to prevent the egg yolks from curdling.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture from Batter Bowl #1 into the saucepan, once again whisking the entire time. All ingredients should now be in the saucepan.
- Return the saucepan to the stove on medium heat. While continuously stirring with a rubber spatula, heat the mixture until it thickens and thickly coats the back of the spatula, about 5 minutes. When it’s ready, you should be able to create a clear trail when you run your finger on the back of the spatula.
- Carefully pour the hot liquid into the fine mesh strainer placed over Batter Bowl #2, which is placed on Potholder #3. Push liquid around with the spatula to make sure it all strains into Batter Bowl #2.
- Place Batter Bowl #2 gently into Ice Water Bowl, making sure that the bottom of Batter Bowl #2 touches the ice water but does not allow any ice water to get into the Batter Bowl.
- Stir ice cream base in Batter Bowl #2 occasionally until the base has cooled.
- Once ice cream base is cooled, cover Batter Bowl #2 with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
PREP INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAY 2 (CHURNING THE ICE CREAM)
- Spread aluminum foil down on your countertop– this makes clean up a lot easier later on!
- Place ice cream maker and hard spatula on countertop
- Pop your freezer-safe container into the freezer to chill.
CHURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAY 2 (CHURNING THE ICE CREAM)
- Remove freezer bowl from freezer and fit into the base of your ice cream maker.
- Remove Batter Bowl #2 containing ice cream base from refrigerator, uncover, and stir a little to make sure all is blended together. Then pour the base into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Meanwhile, pour out one cup of mini marshmallows into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once ice cream is done churning, use a spatula to guide ice cream into the quart container, sprinkling with marshmallows between layers of chocolate. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows on the top of the ice cream, then freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Then, enjoy!
What a fantastic recipe! That looks sooo good. But I’m even more intrigued by the question: “What is Penne Vodka??” I’ve never ever heard of that and I thought I knew my way around pasta!
*clutches heart and staggers backward* omg!!! How have you lived without penne vodka in your life?!?! Maybe I DO need to do a post with that recipe! 😉 Penne Vodka (also called penne alla vodka, or some other variation) is a tomato cream sauce simmered with vodka to bring out the flavors of the sauce. It is delicious, though there are so many variations. I tend to think Giada makes a good version: https://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/penne-vodka-sauce-8-recipe
I may or may not google search “penne vodka” images from time to time when I’m in the middle of a craving…