Absinthe Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3-4 tablespoons absinthe
• About 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate truffles, or chocolate chips

Directions

1. Warm the milk, salt, and sugar together in a saucepan.
2. Prepare an ice bath: nest a 2-quart (2l) bowl inside a larger bowl that has been partly filled with ice and water. Place a strainer on the smaller bowl, then add the cream or half-and-half to that bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks to combine them. Warm the milk mixture again, then slowly stream some of it into the yolks while whisking the whole time. Pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan, scraping the bowl well.
4. Set the pan over low heat and cook, stirring without stopping and sweeping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula, until the custard is thick enough to cling to the spatula.
5. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream or half-and-half. Stir the mixture over the ice bath until it has cooled, then refrigerate it until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
6. Mix in 3 tablespoons of absinthe. Taste the custard, and if you want a stronger flavor, add 1 more tablespoon before freezing it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. After it has churned, gently fold in the chocolate truffles.