Rocky Road Ice Cream

This is one of the two flavors of ice cream Joshua requested for his birthday. You can adapt the ice cream by adding whatever mix-ins (if any) you desire--cookie pieces, nuts, chopped up candy bars, etc.

Ingredients:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) whole milk
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) heavy cream
¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted walnuts (toast on cookie sheet in preheated oven at 350°F. for about 12 minutes)
Marshmallows (homemade or mini marshmallows)
Chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions:
1. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water. Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm (about 175 degrees), about 5 minutes. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
3. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until steam appears, foam subsides, and the mixture is slightly thickened or an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. (Do not boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle.) Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath; cool the custard to room temperature, stirring it occasionally to help it cool. Stir in the vanilla, then cover and refrigerate until an instant-read thermometer registers 40 degrees or lower, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
4. Pour the custard into the ice cream machine canister and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, layering with cooled marshmallow as mixture is transferred. (If using mini marshmallows, stir them into the ice cream with the nuts and chocolate chips). Press plastic wrap flush against the surface, cover the container, and freeze the ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours.


Marshmallows:

2 cups sugar
¾ cup hot water
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan combine sugar, hot water, and corn syrup. Cover and bring to a rolling boil; uncover and cook to 240°F. In a mixer bowl, soak gelatin in water. Slowly pour cooked mixture into gelatin mixture, beating constantly. When mixture begins to thicken, add vanilla. Beat until marshmallow sticks to beaters (about 10 minutes).

(Pour any leftover marshmallow mixture into a pan—the entire mixture will go in a buttered 8-inch square pan—and, when cool, turn out on a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar; cut into squares with wet shears.)