Chocolate Ice Cream

This recipe can be adapted to be lower fat by replacing the cream with yoghurt or similar. The leftover egg whites can be used to make meringues. This is called a custard based recipe, since (surprise surprise) you make up a custard to do it. Melting chocolate into the custard tends to give nicer results than just using cocoa powder, so that's how this recipe is done.

1/2 pint / 300ml milk
1/2 pint / 300ml double cream
4 egg yolks
4 oz / 100g good quality chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa solids, or Green and Black's Maya Gold)
4 oz / 100g caster sugar

In a saucepan, slowly bring the milk towards boiling point. In a separate container mix the egg yolks and sugar until it looks like a thick liquid. Pour the (warm, not boiling) milk onto the egg mixture, stirring constantly (if possible). Pour this mixture back into the saucepan, and break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in the mixture. Return the saucepan to the heat and stir until the chocolate has melted and the custard thickens. It will need to be quite hot for this to happen, but do not allow it to boil, or you'll end up with sweet chocolate scrambled eggs. Remove custard from the heat and leave to cool. When cool, add the double cream (or low fat substitue if desired) and combine until smooth and even. Pour this mixture into an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions, or pour directly into your ice cream container and partially freeze, then stir. Put partially frozen mixture into container and place in freezer until frozen.