Low Carb Gouda “Butterfinger” Ice Cream

I found an article online titled, “Cheese And Dessert Pairings That Will Blow Your Mind” that piqued my interest. Some of the pairings were familiar, some were new, but one stood out: aged Gouda and dark chocolate. The claim was that it “tastes like a grown-up version of a Butterfinger.” How can I resist?

Aged Gouda is a hard cheese. I decided the best course of action would be to shred it in advance and allow it to get to room temperature. The recipe is essentially the same as the Low Carb Roquefort and Honey Ice Cream. If you’re skittish about blue cheese ice cream (and you shouldn’t be) you can substitute aged Gouda in that recipe and it ought to taste wonderful with the honey flavoring and walnuts. However, I wanted to try something different and the promise of a peanut butter and chocolate pairing was something I didn’t want to pass up.

I’m using Lily’s Chocolate - All Natural Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips as a mix-in since it’s semi-sweet, low carb, and has a strong dark chocolate flavor. I decided to add a half tablespoon of LorAnn Oils Flavor Fountain Flavorings peanut butter and chocolate fudge each to give the ice cream a gentle nudge toward that Butterfinger experience. Okay, truth be told, this ice cream doesn’t taste anything like a Butterfinger, but it’s still a really good combo that’s worth trying. I think next time I’ll just use honey flavoring in the mix but keep the chocolate chips.

By the way, I’m not being a wiseguy when I list the chocolate chip quantity in the ingredients below. There’s no volume conversion provided on the package. For the millionth time, get a kitchen scale!

Ingredients

1¼ cup (303 g) unsweetened almond milk or equivalent
1½ tablespoons Truvia
5 tablespoons LC Foods Milk Powder (optional)
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces (115 g) aged Gouda cheese, shredded and room temperature
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or ½ teaspoon Dixie Diner’s Thick It Up Low Carb Thickener
1 tablespoon (18 g) vegetable glycerin
21 drops EZ-Sweetz
½ tablespoon LorAnn Oils Flavor Fountain Flavorings, Peanut Butter
½ tablespoon LorAnn Oils Flavor Fountain Flavorings, Chocolate Fudge
1¼ cup (298 g) heavy cream
240 chips (56 g) Lily’s Chocolate - All Natural Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips

Directions

1. Shred the cheese using a cheese grater and put aside.
2. Add the egg yolks to the 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and let stand.
3. In a small pot, add unsweetened almond milk, Truvia, and low carb milk powder. Heat on stove top at medium heat until it reaches approximately 170 °F while stirring periodically.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Slowly pour the warm mixture from the pot into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
   
   
   
   
   Scrape the warmed mixture back into the pot and return it to the stove top. Add the shredded cheese to the 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and put a strainer on top of it.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. The temperature should not exceed 175 °F. This may take a while to thicken sufficiently.
   
   
   
   
   Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the crumbled cheese.
   
   
   
   
   Mix the hot custard and shredded cheese until it’s melted and integrated. I used an electric hand mixer on medium-low. It’s okay if there are a few small bits of cheese left. If the cheese hasn’t melted enough, pour it back into the pot and heat on low (no more than 140 °F) until enough has melted into the mix, then transfer back to the mixing cup. Whisk in the xanthan gum or Dixie Diner’s Thick It Up Low Carb Thickener while it’s still warm. Add and mix in the EZ-Sweetz, glycerin, heavy cream, flavorings and whisk together.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in a refrigerator until cooled completely.
7. Follow your ice cream maker’s directions for making ice cream. Remove from the ice cream using a silicone spatula and add some to the container. Add a layer of chocolate chips. Repeat until done. Freeze until solid.