This Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Recipe starts with rich chocolate ice cream, that is swirled with salty peanut butter and dotted with mini peanut butter cups.
In a large saucepan combine the 2 cups half and half, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 egg yolks, ½ cup granulated white sugar, ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil the mixture. If the mixture gets too hot and boils you could end up with scrambled eggs. Yuck!
Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg yolk. Add the 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir until the chocolate has melted.
Cool the chocolate mixture to room temperature.
Pour mixture into an airtight container and chill for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Once chilled the ice cream will be the texture of chocolate pudding.
Churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Once churned the ice cream will have the texture of soft serve.
While the ice cream base is churning, microwave the ¼ cup smooth peanut butter on 50% power for thirty seconds until it has melted.
Pour half the ice cream into a freezer container. Sprinkle half the mini peanut butter cups and drizzle half the melted peanut butter across the top.
Top with the remaining ice cream. Sprinkle the top with the remaining peanut butter cups and drizzle with the remaining melted peanut butter.
Freeze for at least two hours before serving.
Notes
StorageStore this chocolate peanut butter swirl ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. I bought this plastic ice cream container which is the perfect size to store one batch of ice cream.You can also place a bit of wax paper or plastic wrap across the surface of the ice cream to add additional protection.Homemade ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.Tips
For the best results, refrigerate the ice cream base preferably overnight before pouring it into your ice cream maker.
If you are using an ice cream maker that uses a frozen bowl make sure it is completely frozen. If you hear sloshing when you shake it put it back in the freezer for longer. Most ice cream manufacturers recommend freezing the bowls for at least 24 hours. Typically I store the bowl in the freezer so that it is ready anytime I want to make ice cream.
Speaking of ice cream maker bowls, DO NOT wash them in your dishwasher. You will ruin it and be forced to buy a new bowl for your ice cream maker.
Always store ice cream in an airtight container to help prevent freezer burn. You can also place a bit of wax paper or plastic wrap across the surface of the ice cream to add additional protection.
Do not store any ice cream on the door of the freezer. If you do, every time you open the freezer door the ice cream will melt just a little. The constant melting and refreezing will give the ice cream an icy texture.
If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften. You can also dunk a metal ice cream scoop into a glass of hot water just before scooping the ice cream.