White Chocolate-Ginger Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Peanuts

Sounds like an interesting combination? It is. As you may or may not know, I don't really like white chocolate. However, Room for Dessert is slowly changing my opinion of the stuff. I will never be a die-hard white chocolate fan, but I won't be avoiding a tasty-sounding dessert that, to my former dismay, contains white chocolate.

I cut down on the steeping time because I wanted a milder ginger flavor, partially because I wanted other members of my household to actually eat it and partially because I was short on time. Honestly though, I think the ginger flavor may have been overwhelming had I steeped the milk for a full hour. Good thing I altered it, or I would have had an entire tub of this all to myself.

My favorite part of this ice cream was definitely the chocolate covered peanuts. I used salted peanuts, as opposed to raw peanuts, and toasted them on the stove instead of roasting them in the oven. I could eat these nuts all on their own, but they do add a little flair to the ice cream that would have been lacking otherwise.

I would not advise serving this ice cream to the faint of heart, as it is a bit spicy. I also would not dish up a bowl to a strictly-vanilla kind of eater. If you do have adventurous friends, this ice cream might just be for you.

White Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Peanuts
Makes about 1 quart
Adapted from Room for Dessert


One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thin
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup plus 1 cup heavy cream
7 ounces white chocolate
4 egg yolks

1 cup peanuts, toasted
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Cover ginger with water in a saucepan and bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain away the water, leaving blanched ginger in pan. Add sugar, milk, and 1 cup heavy cream and heat mixture until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for at least an hour. Chop white chocolate and put in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks, then gradually add some of the ginger-infused cream mixture, whisking constantly. Pour warmed egg yolks back into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain custard into white chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add remaining cup of heavy cream and chill thoroughly. Melt chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once chocolate has melted, add peanuts and stir until they are completely coated; spread on baking sheet. Chop into bite-sized pieces once they've hardened. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker and fold in chocolate-covered peanuts.