Decadency on a spoon - Chocolate Ice Cream Melts the Palette

Decadent. Sinful. And oh! so delicious. Chocolate ice cream remains a popular ice cream treat.

Forget the local dairy king imposters known as soft serve. Dish up the good stuff: the homemade indulgence that grandma and grandpa used to make.

Ice cream dates back to 4th century B.C., when Nero demanded snow and ice be brought down from the mountains. Then, the ice was mixed with fruit, creating the first-known example of ice cream.

The Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 697) were the first to mix ice and milk products to form the creamy treat. Eventually, traders tales of the frozen cream weaved their way back to Europe, where experimentation led to the development of sherbets, ices, and milk ices.

Americans enjoyed the dessert, too. In 1782, the French envoy honored the new American republic and served the concoction to the assembly. Dolly Madison dished it in the White House.

The first mention of chocolate ice cream was in a cookbook by Jean-Pierre Buc'hoz from 1787, but it is possible that earlier experiments in the kitchen produced the chocolaty goodness first.


Try this recipe today, in honor of National Chocolate Ice Cream Day.

• 4 oz. quality unsweetened chocolate
• 1 1/4 C. milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. cream
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2 C. cold milk

Melt chocolate over low heat. At the same time, heat milk over low heat in a small saucepan. Gradually stir milk into melted chocolate. It is important to slowly add the milk; otherwise, the chocolate will clump and become hard. Heat while stirring until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. The mixture will be thick.

Beat eggs with sugar. Stir in the hot chocolate and milk mixture, stirring constantly. Add cream, salt, vanilla, and 1/2 C. cold milk. Allow mix to cool. Freeze in an ice cream freezer.

Chocolate Chips Discovered By Accident

A favorite snack for young and old alike is the chocolate chip cookie. How did the invention of the chocolate chip come about? Thank a Massachusetts inn owner.

Ruth Wakefield graduated from Massachusetts Normal School n 1924 and worked as a dietitian. But she and her husband purchased a tourist lodge and dubbed it Toll House Inn.

Ruth earned a reputation for her fancy desserts and sweets. Her favorite cookie recipe was the Butter Drop Do cookies. Usually, baker's chocolate was a staple for the recipe, but Ruth's pantry was void on that fateful day. Instead, she substituted baker's chocolate with a semisweet bar that she cut into pieces. The bar, incidentally, was a gift from Andrew Nestle of Nestle Chocolate Company.

Ruth assumed the semisweet chunks would melt into the cookies, but once she removed the cookie sheet from the oven, she discovered that the small chunks softened, and the Toll House Inn guests loved her cookies.

As Ruth's recipe gained popularity, she and Nestle made a deal. He would print her now-famous recipe on the package and in return, Ruth received a lifetime's supply of chocolate.

My favorite chocolate chip cookies are the ones my Grandma Larson used to bake. They were oh so moist and the chips would just melt in your mouth. She would line an old metal coffee can (yes, this was in the 60s) with a bread sack and fill it full of the delectable treat.

One time, we had friends over on a Friday night. Our parents were downstairs and we girls were upstairs, but we took a can of grandma's cookies with us. I think I ate 19 of them and my friend ate about 17. I was so "not-feeling-up-to-par" the next day. But I didn't let that setback deter me.

Now when I have the chance, I make chocolate chip cookies using the Toll House recipe, but I also like to add coconut and chopped nuts. Mmmm. Delicious!!

Truffles aren't a trifle to make

Mention the word 'truffle' and two thoughts might filter through your mind: an expensive chocolate treat or a mushroom. Interestingly, one was inspired by the other.

Chocolate truffles originated in France and featured a mound of ganache - chocolate and cream - rolled in chocolate. These globs resembled the highly sought after mushrooms. Thus, the sweet treat earned the same name.

Stories concerning the invention of the chocolate truffle attribute its discovery to famous French food expert Auguste Escoffier. Reportedly, one of his assistants poured hot cream over chunks of chocolate instead of into a bowl of sugar and eggs. And thus, ganache was born.

In the U.S., the truffle is often confused with any cream-filled chocolate. The two candies are nothing alike. Truffles feature balls of ganache covered in expensive chocolate.

Truffles make a classy gift, especially when they are homemade delicacies. A popular choice is the Champagne Truffle. The following recipe makes 24 delightful pieces.

Champagne Truffles

• 1 pound quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 8 ounces heavy cream
• 1 ounce unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ounce Cognac or 3 Tablespoons champagne
• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate
• 1 pound cocoa powder

Note: The champagne can change the consistency of the ganache, but the mixture will still form easily into balls.

Bring cream to a boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Pour over one pound of quality bittersweet chocolate. Beat in butter. Cool to set. Beat on medium speed until light. Add cognac or champagne.

Pour mixture into a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain tube and form mounds of the ganache on wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate until set.

After the centers have set, melt another pound of bittersweet chocolate. Sift cocoa into a pan. Dip balls into the melted chocolate and then place in the cocoa, rolling until coated. Once set, place truffles in a strainer and shake gently to remove any excess cocoa powder.