This recipe for low-fat homemade vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce that has been infused with orange essence is so rich flavorful you won’t miss the fat.
1tablespoonorange-flavored liquorsuch as Grand Marnier
Chopped toasted peanuts or almonds(optional)
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream: Stir together the fat-free half and half and cream; remove ½ cup. Heat the remaining 3 ½ cups along with the sugar and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, whisking/stirring often until steaming hot but not boiling (do not boil).
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk the reserved ½ cup cream mixture with the cornstarch until well blended; whisk in the egg yolks until smooth, set aside.
When the half and half/cream mixture is steaming, take about 1 cup of hot liquid and incorporate it slowly into the cornstarch/egg yolk mixture (temper it), whisking constantly. When smooth, whisk egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
Whisking constantly over medium heat, cook the custard until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Custard is done when a line remains when a finger is drawn across the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the custard to prevent it from forming a skin. Refrigerate until cold.
Remove the custard from the refrigerator and pour into an ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 1 hour or longer, until firm but not hard. (If you don't have an ice cream maker, transfer the cooled custard to a container and freeze. After about an hour, mix vigorously, then return to the freezer.)
Make the Chocolate Sauce: In a heavy saucepan; combine the cornstarch, half and half and cream; whisk until well combined. Over medium-low heat, heat slowly until it just begins to steam; add the chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange liquor.
To Serve: Scoop out the ice cream into an ice cream dish, and spoon the hot chocolate sauce over. Top with chopped peanuts or almonds if desired.
Notes
LindySez: If you don't want to use orange liquor, you can substitute ¼ teaspoon orange extract.