Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

It's late April. I want to bike to work, wear sandals, and sit outside at Dunn Brothers reading. But then I wake up on some mornings to this:

I'm completely confused. Why is it April and there's snow on the ground? I know "April showers bring May flowers," but this is ridiculous.

So, at the prompting of the boyfriend, I channeled this confusion into ice cream form.

Ice cream? Totally spring/summer food. Hot chocolate? Fall/winter weather drink. Together? Delicious.

This treat starts with a simple ice cream custard base. Add in hot chocolate mix-- yes, those little packets we get at the grocery store. There's such a distinct, delicious taste to them, so why mess around?

End with a swirl of marshmallow fluff, which weaves through and then toughens up a bit into a chewy, sweet, sticky mess. Because what's hot chocolate without marshmallow?

Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

Adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
4 packets of hot cocoa mix (I used Nestle)
8 oz marshmallow fluff

Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until light in color. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat milk and sugar until just at boiling point. Slowly pour half of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Again whisking constantly, pour egg mixture back into saucepan.  Add cocoa mix. Cook mixture until it holds a line across the back of a wooden spoon (~8-10 minutes).

Pour custard into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of  any eggy bits. Chill mixture for 2-12 hours.

Prepare ice cream in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions. Add in marshmallow fluff towards the end. Transfer to a storage container, and place in the freezer to firm up.