"Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream

It’s been one heck of a sweltering summer so far! Nearly 20 of the last 30 days have been 90 degrees and above here, and I know we Ohioans aren’t the only ones suffering from the unbearable temps. It’s been record temps all over the country all summer. It’s just downright H-O-T. I’ve been looking for ways to cool myself down, which means I’ve been cranking the AC, throwing on a tank top and shorts, and making ice cream. A LOT of ice cream. Enough to fill an entire week worth of posts (as well as my entire freezer). So today is the start of Ice Cream Week here at The Busty Baker! Yay!

I know I’ll regret it in a few months, but right now, all I can think about is how good cold temperatures would feel while I’m driving around town in my AC-less car, sweating buckets on 95 degree days. What I wouldn’t give for just one snowy day to cool everything down. So why not make an ice cream that reminds me of winter? There’s nothing better in the cold months than a nice steamy mug of hot chocolate. How about a nice icy bowl of “Hot” Chocolate Ice Cream in the middle of summer?

I've had this disk of Mexican chocolate, made with stone ground chiles, hanging around my kitchen for months now. I bought it who knows how long ago from a specialty market and have just been waiting for the right recipe to use it on. I finally decided to break it out and make ice cream with it!

This isn’t exactly the subtle heat of other “hot” chocolates I’ve made—the kind that you only notice as a warm aftertaste. This is more of a straight-up, kick-you-in-the-face heat. Nothing subtle about it. It’s front and center, making its presence known right away. It’s the kind of heat that catches you off guard at first, and stays with you for a while after you’ve finished. It’s the epitome of cold heat, which is kind of strange. But in a good way. Mostly. I will say, I find the spice to be a little bit overwhelming, and I would definitely cut back next time. But I’d make it again. It’s got a great warm cinnamon-y chocolate flavor, but next time I may just leave the chipotle powder out.

Stay tuned for more ice cream recipes to keep cool this week! And who knows. There may just be something in it for you.

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“Hot” Chocolate Ice Cream
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Makes about 1 quart



2 ¼ cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup sugar
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 ¼ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 to 3 teaspoons chipotle chile powder*
Pinch of salt

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together heavy cream, cocoa powder, and sugar. Heat mixture on medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and is foamy.
2. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until completely melted and smooth. Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon, chile powder, and salt, and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds, until very smooth.
4. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Once chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

*Note: Because I used chocolate that already had chili powder in it, I reduced the amount of chipotle powder to 1 teaspoon.