Combine beer and chocolate to make this super cool ice cream.

A couple of years ago I got a bit of stick from friends who thought I was mad to make a beer and chocolate tart.

But, for me, the pairing of a really good quality chocolate and proper beer just makes sense.

Dark chocolate and beer share malty, raisiny, bitter qualities that make them the best of friends in the kitchen.

Needless to say, my mates soon gobbled down said tart, and ate their words too!

In celebration of World Chocolate Day yesterday, I transformed these two ingredients into possibly one of the most divine ice creams I’ve ever made.

It even beat my family’s favourite Nutella ice cream to the top of the gelato tree.

Almost impossibly smooth, with a rich hit of cocoa and refreshing pow from the beer, it didn’t last long once it came out of the freezer- especially when I doused it in a salted butterscotch sauce.

If you’re going to go to the time and effort of making your own ice cream, you really have to use the very best ingredients you can get your hands on.

For this, I used thick, luscious Marybelle whipping cream, local free-range eggs, 80% dark chocolate and golden caster sugar. The beer was a light ale made by Greene King.

Don’t use any old IPA or cheap tin of lager left over from a barbecue. You either need to go light, or go totally to the dark side with a stout or porter (oatmeal stout would be amazing).

Chocolate beer ice cream

(makes about 600ml)

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks

400ml double cream

200ml beer

100g dark chocolate (70-80%)

1tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch salt

80g caster sugar

Method

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cocoa in a bowl until thickened.

Place the cream and beer in a pan and bring to a simmer then add a few tablespoons to the egg mix to warm it, whisking all the time.

Pour in the rest of the liquid and whisk well.

Wash out your pan to remove any proteins from the cream (those will burn) and pour the whole mixture back into the pan.

Bring to the boil (whisking all the time) and turn onto a low heat to thicken like custard.

Take off the heat, add the chocolate and let it melt in. Stir, place in a tub and leave to cool.

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

I used to a gelato machine to churn my ice cream but most people will need to use the freezer method.

Put the chilled ice cream in the freezer for 30 minutes then take it out, whisk it and return for another hour. Repeat after one hour to break up any crystals and leave for a further hour to set totally.

Leave at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.