The Belgian Supreme Ice Cream
By: Susan Palmer
Published: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 - 2:52pm

Ingredients




1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, bean reserved
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 ounces 60% dark chocolate
6 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
12 ounces dark Belgian Beer
5 ounces large chocolate chips or chunks
crushed Biscoff cookies

Preparation

1 Heat the milk, sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and bean on medium heat until sugar is dissolved in a medium pot. 2 Whisk in the cocoa powder then turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to melt, then stir to combine completely. 3 Set up an ice bath with a medium mixing bowl set on top and the cream and beer together. Place a strainer on top. 4 In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and drizzle a little of the warm chocolate milk in. 5 Turn the remaining chocolate milk in the medium pot on low heat and very slowly drizzle the egg yolks in, constantly whisking and scraping the bottom of the pot. As you drizzle the eggs yolks, you will see the custard begin to thicken. 6 Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute after you finish adding the egg yolks. 7 Strain the custard into the cream and let cool completely. This can be done ahead of time and left in an air tight container in the refrigerator. If making ice cream right away, churn in your ice cream maker for 30-35 minutes until light and creamy. 8 Transfer to a container and in alternating layers, add the ice cream then some chocolate chips and crushed Biscoff, more ice cream and so on. Freeze until solid and enjoy!

About

Why is this ice so supremely Belgian? Well, I shall tell you.  Not only does it include plenty of chocolate - in the form of cocoa powder, melted in the custard and chips in the final product, but it also has Belgium's most well know cookie - Biscoff and. . .wait for it now Belgian beer!
Before you turn your nose up at the thought of beer in your ice cream, I promise even the non-beer drinkers loved the taste.  Using a dark Belgian ale brings a malty sweetness to the ice cream, which complements the chocolate. You get just a hint of beer on your first bite, and then the taste of chocolate comes through after. 
You will want to use a strong Belgian dark ale for the beer. Anything too hoppy will leave a bitter after taste in the ice cream. I used Delirium Nocturnum, but Maredsous 8 or Ommegang’s Abbey Ale would be a good alternative.