If this isn’t the perfect ending to your Saint Patrick’s Day feast, then one surely doesn’t exist.

Imagine if you will…creamy, luscious milk chocolate ice cream swirling on your tongue. But what’s this tangy counterpoint? Why, it’s a touch of Guinness – cutting through the sweetness in the most marvelous way.

These two flavors are so unexpected but combine so beautifully together, you may just start sipping beer with your mid-afternoon chocolate fix!

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz’s fabulous book The Perfect Scoop. If any of you reading this are into making your own ice cream, (and considering how inexpensive and easy to use today’s ice cream makers are, why wouldn’t you?) then this is a must-have in your cookbook library.

Here’s what you’ll need:
~8 ounces finely chopped milk chocolate.
I find that one of those one lb bars from Trader Joe’s works great. Plus there’s lots left over for snacking on. 🙂
~1 cup whole milk
~1/2 cup of sugar
~Pinch of salt
~4 large egg yolks
~1 cup heavy cream
~3/4 cup Guinness Stout
I’ve tried this recipe with other stouts and none work as well as Guinness. The beer flavor is much less pronounced with other brands.
~1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Here’s what to do:
Put your finely chopped chocolate in a bowl with a strainer over it and set aside.
Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the milk mixture into your eggs a little at a time while whisking the eggs continuously. You are tempering the eggs so that the heat of the milk won’t scramble them. Once you’ve added all your milk mixture to the eggs, pour it all back into your saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a silicone spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir. Once the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula, pour the mixture through the strainer onto your chopped chocolate.

Stir until the chocolate is melted. Once it’s smooth, whisk in the cream, then the Guinness, and finally the vanilla. Place this bowl in an ice bath and stir until cooled.

This is where your patience will be tested. Cover this bowl of deliciousness with Saran Wrap and refrigerate until very cold. I chill mine overnight but if you just can’t wait that long, then 3 hours should do the trick. Speaking of tricks, in order to avoid your mixture developing a skin, be sure to press down the plastic wrap so that it’s touching in all places.

Once it’s nice and cold, all that’s left to do is put it in your ice cream maker and prepare your taste buds for the joy that is to come!

Hope you all have a great Saint Patrick’s Day and that you’ll indulge in this yummy treat!