Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Just last week my oldest discovered that she too can cook.  We went to a friend's house for the afternoon and when we arrived Christina's 10 year old son was happily rolling out dough (that he'd made from scratch) for homemade pretzels.  It didn't even occur to me that my daughter noticed what he was doing but every day since, she's told me "Oh don't worry Mom, I can do the cooking today."

Last night she pulled The Perfect Scoop off the shelf and sat on the couch  reading for over an hour.  I noticed her eyes kept growing bigger and bigger and a huge smile was creeping across her face.  I sat down across from her her and just watched the lightbulb slowly illuminating.  I remember reading my Mom's cookbooks as a girl; how those books opened up a window to a new world.  It was so amazing see the same thing unfold for my daughter right before my eyes. 

After reading, she got out a piece of paper and made a shopping list for me and then sweetly told me that she plans to make all the meals for us for our anniversary (it's quickly approaching...12 years...wow!)  I tried to hide my doubts as I was envisioning the other morning when I walked into the kitchen and she was cheerfully making quesadillas with the gas fully on but without a flame.  (we "discussed" her unsupervised use of the stove . . .) 

A few hours after she presented her shopping list, she told me she decided to start an ice cream company since "there is nowhere to get good food around here, except our house".  She and my youngest were totally giddy as they made plans and gave everyone in the family an assignment.  She decided on 3 flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee Heath and plans to start her business on April 22nd (earth day of all days).  After listening to her fully thought-out plan, I asked, "Who will make all the ice cream?"  She matter-of-factly answered, "You."  (I guess I'll be very busy this spring and summer)  

When my husband arrived home that evening, my oldest was jumping with excitement as she explained her new plan.  She proclaimed, "Oh and Dad, if this thing takes off you might not need to work again after you retire from the military."  Needless to say, there was much laughter in our house that night.

Since we're doing a lot of ice cream testing in our home now, I thought I'd try to re-create one of my favorites: Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk - sweet cinnamon cream ice cream filled with chunks of oatmeal cookies and bittersweet chocolate.  In The Perfect Scoop there's a recipe for Cinnamon Ice Cream so I took that and paired it with his Oatmeal Praline, changed the sweeteners, added some organic chocolate, and came up with a pretty darn good version of a favorite.  

Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop written by David Lebovitz
Makes 1 Quart

Caramel Oatmeal:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons rapadura/sucanat (dehydrated cane juice..for more info click here)

Ice Cream:
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup maple syrup
10 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks (pastured and organic, preferred)
7 ounces good organic bittersweet chocolate (I prefer green and blacks or trader joes), chopped

Over low heat, warm the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of cream in medium saucepan.  When the mixture is warm, remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let steep for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, stir together maple syrup and rapadura in a small saucepan over low heat until mostly melted.  Add rolled oats and stir to combine.  Pour oats out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out to make an even layer.  Set aside to cool.

Remove cinnamon sticks from milk mixture and stir in remaining 1 cup of cream.  Whisk together all of the yolks in a separate bowl and then slowly add to milk mixture.  Turn heat to medium-low and heat mixture, whisking constantly until thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl.  Set large bowl over icebath and stir every once in a while until cool.  When cool, cover bowl tightly and place in refrigerator until very cold.  Freeze the custard according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.


When custard has churned, break apart the caramel oatmeal and slowly add it and also the chopped chocolate to the ice cream.