Cognac Ice Cream With Chocolate-Cognac Truffles

Ingredients:
9 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac or Brandy

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 ounces unsweetened chocolate
5 T butter
1/2 cup plus 2 T heavy cream
1 to 2 T Cognac or Armagnac or Brandy

Preparing the truffles:
Melt the chocolate, butter and cream in a small saucepan over low heat or over hot water, stirring constantly. Add the liqueur to taste. Pour into a low container, making sure that the truffle mixture is at least 3/4" deep. Chill it thoroughly. When the chocolate is cold but still malleable, shape small truffles by dipping a half-teaspoon measuring spoon or a melon-baller into hot water and scooping a truffle quickly. Lay the truffles on a sheet pan in a single layer, making sure that they do not touch one another. When you have shaped them all, chill them thoroughly.

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Preparing the ice cream:
Combine the yolks and sugar in a large saucepan and mix well.

In another saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream. Scald this mixture. Add the cream/milk mixture to the yolks/sugar mixture, drop by drop, stirring constantly. Turn the heat on to medium. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to 160 degrees or just until it begins to thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon. Whisk very quickly to cool it very quickly. Strain it and flavor it with a few drops of vanilla and the Cognac and allow it to cool completely. Taste and flavor again as needed and deep chill.

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Freeze the ice cream according to the instructions with your particular ice cream maker. At the end, fold the chilled truffles into the ice cream and freeze.

Makes a quart