RECIPE: Salt + Straw's Freckled Woodblock Chocolate Ice Cream

When we stopped by Salt + Straw to talk with co-owner Tyler Malek about how he utilizes salt in his incredible ice creams, he let us get into the company’s R&D kitchen and make a batch of the company’s famous Freckled Woodblock Chocolate Ice Cream.

In the ice cream world term “freckling” refers to an old method of incorporating chocolate flecks into the ice cream. As the ice cream maker is spinning, just as the ice cream is almost finished, you pour melted chocolate in, allowing it to freeze and break up as it is incorporated into the base. This method disperses tiny frozen flecks — or freckles — of chocolate throughout the ice cream and I can tell you that I’ll never make chocolate “chip” ice cream again. Freckles forever!

Freckled Woodblock Chocolate Ice Cream

| Ingredients |

1 1/4 tsp Jacobsen Salt
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
5 oz Woodblock Chocolate (or another very high quality chocolate), chopped into pieces
3 cups Ice Cream Base (recipe follows)
1 tsp vegetable oil

| Preparation | In a medium (about 1-1/2-quart) saucepan, heat 1/4 cup water, the salt, and the sugar over medium-high heat until the water gives off steam but isn’t yet bubbling, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) of the chopped chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let it cool to room temperature. Pour in the ice cream base, then use a whisk or stick blender to mix or blend until smooth. Chill in the fridge until cold if using a pre-frozen bowl machine.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn just until it has the texture of soft-serve.

While the ice cream is churning, pour an inch or so of water into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the remaining 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) chocolate pieces and the vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl that’ll sit on top of the saucepan without touching the water. Put the bowl over the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted. Take the pan off the heat but leave the bowl on top. The chocolate will stay warm until the ice cream is churned.

Once the ice cream is churned to about soft-serve texture, lift the bowl of melted chocolate from the pan and dry the bottom of the bowl. With the machine still running, pour the melted chocolate through the chute in a very thin, steady stream. The warm chocolate will scatter and harden into freckles when it hits the cold ice cream.

Quickly transfer the ice cream, scraping every last delicious drop from the machine, into freezer-friendly containers. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the ice cream so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It’s okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer (farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Ice Cream Base

Yield: About 3 cups

| Ingredients |

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dry milk powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups heavy cream

| Preparation |

Combine the sugar, dry milk, and xanthan gum in a small bowl and stir well.

Pour the corn syrup into a medium pot and stir in the whole milk. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Add the cream and whisk until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir the base back together if it separates during the resting time. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Just be sure to fully thaw the frozen base before using it.)

Catherine NevilleJanuary 12, 2020