I'm Elyse. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories are around a table with friends and family, and I want that for you, too.
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For reasons I don’t understand, the only time I remember having chocolate milk mix as a kid was when I went to my grandparents’ house. We would make the long drive to their place every Thanksgiving, staying the weekend in their 2-story house. Post-Thanksgiving meal, when all the adults were near comatose in front of the TV, my sister and I would reach into the back of the pantry where we knew the Nesquick was hiding—left untouched the other 364 days of the year.
We were not—and still aren’t—big instruction readers, so Sara and I would drop heaping spoonfuls of the mix into a cup, topping it off with milk and only partially stirring, so we would have mouthfuls of chalky sugar left at the bottom of our glass. Even as children we knew a drink’s ability to complement a meal, so naturally, we would pair our glass of chocolate mud with slices of pumpkin and apple pie—don’t judge our art.
I really cherish these childhood memories—where naps were rewarded and my world felt safer. (Which, holy moly is a privileged statement. I am so incredibly fortunate that this feeling of safety is embedded in my mind.) So while I generally feel like nostalgia can be an exercise in fantasy, built on half-remembered “good ‘ol days”—something I can absolutely take from these memories are the SNACKS I used to have.
Creating this creamy, chocolate malt ice cream and throwing some of my favorite childhood snacks into it felt like the perfect way to travel back in time and say “Sup” to a young, gangly, and awkward me, who was plopped in front of the TV with milk and cookies. I hope it is for you too. Use this recipe as a time machine, and go say hello to the little weirdo you used to be.
Separate your eggs and put your egg yolks in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix 1C of heavy cream and the Ovaltine in a saucepan over medium heat until the granules have dissolved and it is thoroughly heated through.
Take off the heat and add the chocolate. Stirring until shiny and smooth. Add the rest of the heavy cream and stir to incorporate. Dump the mixture into a large bowl.
In the same saucepan (it’s ok to have some residual chocolate in it, no need to wash), mix the milk, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Stirring to dissolve the sugar.
It’s time to temper the egg yolks. Slowly add some of the hot milk to the egg yolks, whisking to incorporate. Add about 1/3 of the total mixture to the eggs, whisking the entire time to make sure they don’t begin to cook. (No one wants pieces of scrambled eggs in their ice cream.)
Scrape the eggs into the same saucepan as the rest of the milk and continue to heat over medium while stirring with a heatproof spatula. Continue stirring, paying special attention to the bottom of the pan so the mix does not scorch, until the mixture has thickened and easily coats the spatula.
Set up an ice bath and place your bowl of cream and chocolate over it. Pour your mixture into the large bowl with your cream and stir. Add the vanilla extra and stir again until combined and cooled down.
Pop your ice cream in the fridge for at least 4 hours, then freeze it following the instructions of your on your ice cream maker.
Once at soft-serve consistency, toss in your mix-ins! I separated my ice cream into two bowls and mixed one with about a cup and a half of Oreo crumbs, with the other getting a hearty drizzle of this miso caramel and crushed peanut butter filled pretzels. But feel free to mix in whatever you would have had with chocolate milk mix as a kid! Chips Ahoy or Famous Amos for the ultimate sweet treat, or even potato chips for a salty/sweet combo!