Smoked Chocolate and Tequila Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 black cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 small pieces of star anise
• 1 tablespoon whole coffee beans or 1 teaspoon coffee grinds
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 8 tablespoons good tequila

Directions

1. Warm the half-and-half in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over low/medium heat with the cinnamon, black cardamom, star anise and coffee. Let the mixture steep as it heats until the flavor has infused, about 30 to 40 minutes.
2. In a separate pot, combine the turbinado sugar with 2 tablespoons of tequila and about 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes, about 7 to 8 minutes.
3. While the caramel is still hot, carefully add it to the pot of half-and-half and spices. It can foam up, so take your time, pour in a slow steady stream, and stir as it goes in.
4. Add the honey to the pot you used for the caramelized sugar. Cook it over a low flame until it starts to caramelize too, about 5 minutes, then stir it into the half-and-half mixture.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks continuously until they become lighter in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Temper the yolks into the hot half-and-half mixture. To do this, spoon a few ladlefuls of the warm liquid into the eggs and whisk well after each addition. Once the outside of the bowl feels warm, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pot, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir until the yolks are fully incorporated into the half-and-half.
7. Cook the ice cream base over low/medium heat, stirring now and then, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. If you are using a thermometer, heat the mixture to 160 degrees F so the eggs are fully cooked.
8. Place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Strain the hot ice cream base through a mesh strainer into the bowl, pouring it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts smoothly into the base. An immersion blender works well here, but a wooden spoon or spatula is fine too.
9. When the chocolate is completely melted, stir in about 6 tablespoons of tequila. That amount is close to the upper edge of what an ice cream can take and still freeze properly. For a milder tequila flavor, use only 3 tablespoons, or swap in another alcohol you prefer. For a very boozy version, use 8 tablespoons or more, but the finished ice cream will soften more quickly with the extra alcohol.
10. Refrigerate the base overnight. This rest helps the fats crystallize and the proteins hydrate, which gives the churned ice cream a much smoother texture. If waiting overnight is not happening, chill the base until cold, about 4 hours.
11. Churn the chilled base in your ice cream machine, then transfer it to the freezer for another hour or 2, or eat it right away. Finish with a little sea salt or smoked salt.