Red Velvet Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

I want to talk about this beautiful pink thing before you, but before I do, I just have a few things that I have to get off my chest.

This week has been consumed by one big sugar project that, at long last, will be assembled and (possibly) photographed tonight. I don’t know. I hear I need natural light for profesh photographing.

No, it’s not a birthday cake (although my birthday is coming up frighteningly soon). Speaking of birthdays. I’ve spent most of my life fearing the “what’s next” after college, and now that I’m standing in it, it feels silly to be apprehensive about a simple change in numbers that’s looming in front of me.

In a few days, I’ll be admiring the view from the other side of 21! What should I do? I DON’T KNOW. So I’m asking you! Yes, you. What would you do if it was your birthday? Host a dinner party (spring roll-making, perhaps, or artisan pizza)? Fancy dinner out? Build a house? (I’ve been wanting to try Habitat for Humanity…) Taste wine at all afternoon at a winery? Bake a huge spread of goodies and invite all your friends over? Sit in a corner and cry?

And the big question: would YOU bake your own birthday cake? Erik poo-poohed the idea, but I was all, butbutbut wait…I think people do that! Especially food blogger people. So they can blog about it.

Enough of that. To ice cream!

Remember when I made those Sprinkles red velvet copycat cupcakes? And I was all “verdict: nothing like the real thing.” Well, it turns out that whoever and whatever they’re trying to be, they’re absolutely incredible crumbled into ice cream.

That might look kind of like a melty mess, but I promise there’s only two shots because that’s about as long as I could wait before shoving the rest of it into. my. face. Creamy cool homemade vanilla ice cream. Disintegrating chunks of tender red velvet cake strewn about like cake confetti. Lumps of rich chocolate like tooth-breaking sugary goldmines (uh whoops…make sure you drizzle that chocolate in gently.)

You want to make this.

Notes

The most exciting purchase of the year so far has easily been the ice cream maker I snagged from that awesome caribbean Craigslist couple we bought bikes from. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to tell you how to make this without one. David Lebovitz is a badass and can make ice cream without a machine and so can Chocolate Covered Katie. I, however, tried the hand-stirring method (since I don’t have a food processor OR a blender) one time and it was not pretty.

I did swap in some lower fat dairy products to make this slightly healthier from the original recipe that came with the machine (in brackets below). Check out the nutrition stats below–you shave off a few calories and fat for a sliiightly icier version but still super creamy and rich and awesome. Developing a perfect, healthier ice cream is definitely a work in progress!

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

Yield: 1.5 quarts.

1 + 1/2 cups 2% milk [1+ 1 /2 cups whole milk]
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk [1 cup half and half]
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 red velvet cupcakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine milk, sugar and salt. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour into canister and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

During the last five minutes of the freezing, crumble in 2 red velvet cupcakes and 1/2 cup melted chocolate. Stand back and admire your handiwork.

Nutrition information (per 1/8 recipe): 137 cal, 4.2g fat (2.6 sat), 22.7g sugar, 2.7g protein

Compared to original recipe: 163 cal, 7.3g (4.5g sat), 21.3g sugar, 2.5g protein

You may also like: Sprinkles Red Velvet Copycat Cupcakes, Beet Red Velvet Cake, or Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Cake 🙂