Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Sometimes great recipes come about by accident. I was experimenting with making cinnamon ice cream using a mimiccreme base and the custard turned out tasting very egg-y with almost no cinnamon flavor. Never one to throw out food that could be salvaged I threw in pinch of this and a few ounces of that.  The end result was an ultra delicious mexican chocolate ice cream with the spice of cinnamon, heat of chile, and the sweet creaminess of chocolate. We absolutely loved it, and I knew I wanted to be able to make it again. The way I made it the first time was kind of like reaching all the way around the back of your head in order to scratch your nose, so as I made the recipe again I streamlined it. And this time measured as I went so I would have a recipe to use in the future.  The ice cream has a bit of graininess which I loved because it is a similar texture to mexican chocolate, the main inspiration for the recipe. Chile powder can vary greatly in strength depending on age and other factors, so start with the smaller amount and add more to taste.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

2 cups sweetened mimiccreme
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 oz chocolate, melted and cooled.

Combine the mimiccream, cocoa and spices in a small sauce pan and heat, stirring, until dissolved and warm. Pour the mixture into a blender, add the chocolate, and blend until smooth.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture seems too thick after chilling in the refrigerator a few good stirs should make it pourable again.