Chocolate Chestnut Ice Cream Food

CHESTNUT ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE GRAND MARNIER SAUCE

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Finely chop chestnuts and cook with 1 1/4 cups milk at a bare simmer in a large heavy saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Purée in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).
• Bring cream and remaining 1 3/4cups milk just to a simmer in heavy saucepan and remove from heat.
• Beat together yolks and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted.
• Whisk 1/3 of hot cream mixture into yolk mixture to temper, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream mixture. 3Whisk in chestnut purée and salt, then add zest. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not boil).
• Immediately pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl and stir in vanilla. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool custard, stirring occasionally. Chill, surface covered with waxed paper, until cold, at least 3 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice-cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
• Make sauce:
• Bring cream just to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat and remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter, whisking until smooth. Whisk in Grand Marnier.
• Serve ice cream with sauce.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• In a heavy saucepan bring cream and milk just to a boil. In a bowl whisk together yolks and sugar until combined well and whisk in cream mixture in a stream. Pour mixture into pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until it registers 170°F. on a candy thermometer.
• Strain custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and whisk in melted chocolate, vanilla, and brandy until smooth. Cool custard completely and freeze in an ice-cream maker, adding marrons glacés during last few minutes of freezing time.

FRENCH CHESTNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put milk, chestnut puree and 3 oz of the sugar in a pan and bring to a boil over med. heat.
• Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl until a light ribbon consistency.
• Pour the boiling milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then pour the mixture back into the pan.
• Stir over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard lightly coats the back of the spoon. When you run your finger through it, it should leave a clear path on the spoon.
• Immediately take the pan off the heat and pour custard into a bowl.
• Add the rum now, if using.
• Cool over ice, stirring occasionally to prevent the formation of a skin.
• When cold, pass the custard through a fine strainer or a chinois into the ice cream maker and churn 10-15 minutes.
• Pour the cream into the ice cream maker, in a slow stream. Churn an additional 10 minutes. It is ready when firm but still creamy.
• Serve with the marrons glace on top, in small pieces, if desired, or with a drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate sauce, or just plain.

CHESTNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Halve vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds using tip of a sharp knife into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add pod, cream, sugar, and chestnut purée and bring to a simmer, whisking until chestnut purée is broken up and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cover pan. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Whisk together yolks in a medium bowl, then add warm cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean metal bowl, discarding vanilla pod and forcing chestnut purée through sieve. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker until soft-frozen, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 3 hours.