INTENSE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH SOUR BALSAMIC-CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For Ice Cream:.
• Melt the 2 oz.
• chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over low heat.
• To the melted chips, add the heavy cream, buttermilk, honey and cocoa, stirring well to incorporate (the cocoa may not fully incorporate until mixture is more warmed).
• The melted chocolate may"seize" (or clump up), but as the other ingredients heat, the chocolate will melt.
• Increase heat to medium, and bring mixture to almost boiling, stirring frequently.
• This may take 6-10 minutes or more.
• You may notice small flecks of cocoa in the hot mixture; this is ok.
• Turn heat down to low.
• While the cream mixture is warming, with a hand mixer, cream together the egg yolks and sugar until lighter in colour, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
• This will be a very thick, almost dry looking mixture.
• Take about 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, and add to the egg mixture.
• Mix until combined.
• Slowly add the slightly warmed egg mixture into the cream mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from being cooked too quickly.
• Cook over low heat until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 3 or 4 minutes.
• Mixture will still be liquid in appearance.
• Chill this custard completely, either in the fridge overnight, or over an ice bath for about 30 minutes.
• Make sure custard is cool.
• Freeze in an ice-cream machine as recommended by your owner's manual.
• (N. B. In my Cuisinart Ice cream machine, it to about 35- 38 minutes before ice crystals started to show. This is longer than recommended. Even then, it was still very thin.).
• Put the soft ice cream in a container in the freezer.
• For the first couple of hours, stir every hour to make sure the ice crystals are being distributed.
• Freeze at least six hours or overnight.
• This ice cream has a softer texture than some other home-made ice creams.
• For the Sauce.
• In a small saucepan, combine the honey and the 1/2 cup water.
• Warm this mixture over medium heat until honey is dissolved.
• Add the cherries.
• Simmer for about 3 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low.
• Add the almond flavouring and the balsamic vinegar.
• Simmer for about 1 minute.
• Mix together the cornstarch and the 3 teaspoons cold water together in a small dish/glass.
• Stir into cherry mixture.
• Simmer about 3-5 minute, or until slightly thickened.
• (This is a thin sauce, you may thicken it up with more cornstarch/water slurry if you want) Serve over chocolate ice cream either warm or chilled.