Easy no-churn chocolate ice cream with a kick is sandwiched inside a classic fluffy doughnut. This recipe is made even better by using Alaska Classic Milk.
I’m here today to write about what is probably one of my favorite recipes I’ve made to date. It’s actually a combination of two great recipes, both classics in their own right, but when put together become a modern take. Today I’m waking you through how to make these amazing Chili Chocolate Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches.
To make these, we are again enlisting the help of Alaska Classic Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Filled Milk. I personally don’t think this recipe is difficult, but it does take more time to accomplish compared to the recipe I shared before of the Alaska Condensed Milk Cake with Alaska Evaporated Milk Whipped Cream.
[READ ALSO: Alaska Condensed Milk Cake with Fluffy Alaska Evap Cream]
Since we are dealing with ice cream here, it needs time in the freezer. And since we’re making doughnuts, the dough also needs time to rise before we can do anything with it. It’s mostly a lot of inactive waiting time, and I can assure you it is very much worth it! I guess you can say this is a bit of a project because of that. Before I talk to you more about the recipe, check out the video below to get a better idea of the fun process of creating these Chili Chocolate Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches from scratch.
As you’ve seen in the video, this recipe is made up of two main components. Both of them make use of Alaska Classic Milk to spectacular results, and both of them are fairly easy once you get a good grasp of the procedure.
Let’s start with the ice cream. You might be thinking, I can easily use store-bought ice cream for this! And while you can, I think you should try this homemade ice cream recipe first because not only is it easy, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for flavor combinations that supermarkets don’t sell. You’re only limited by your imagination.
The best part about this particular recipe I’m sharing is that you don’t need an ice cream machine at all. The magic is in the cream and the condensed milk. Make sure to use Alaska Classic Sweetened Condensed Milk for maximum taste!
Basically, you just melt some chocolate then add in 1/2 cup of Alaska Classic Sweetened Condensed Milk and the flavorings. For this one I used vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. I have always loved chocolates with chili so I thought I’d recreate it in an ice cream.
You can omit the cayenne pepper and use only the vanilla and cinnamon, but where’s the excitement in that? 1/4 teaspoon gives a very obvious kick, but 1/8 teaspoon will give just a nudge. It definitely holds its own inside this doughnut ice cream sandwich.
The final step is to whip your heavy cream into soft peaks before folding it in, creating an airy chocolate mixture that you will then freeze. That’s literally it! The result is a rich and creamy chocolate ice cream full of delicious flavor, and a kick.
We’re not stopping at just the ice cream of course. While that’s freezing for 6 hours, it’s time to make the doughnuts, this time with the help of Alaska Classic Evaporated Filled Milk.
Adding Alaska Classic Evaporated Filled Milk to the dough adds a bit more richness than just using water or normal milk, and with the help of a stand mixer, the kneading process actually becomes much easier. The dough comes together in 5 minutes, and what we want is a shiny and elastic dough. It should be elastic enough to pull without easily breaking apart.
It’s VERY IMPORTANT to remember that the dough we want is tacky or sticky. Resist the urge to add more flour, because if the dough becomes dry then the doughnuts won’t be as fluffy. Oil your hands or use a spatula to transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl then let rise for at least 1 hour.
Finally, roll out the dough and cut into doughnuts. I bought my stainless cutter from abroad, but I found a plastic version in a local baking store. Can’t remember which one, but I am sure we have it locally.
Alternatively, you can just use two cookie cutters of different sizes. The doughnuts will need to rise another minimum of 40 minutes until very puffed. (Patience is a virtue!) It will fluff up even more once you fry it.
A note on the frying: Make sure you keep your cooking oil between 325°F and 350°F so that the doughnuts will become golden outside and cooked on the inside. If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will brown too quickly but the inside might not be cooked through. If the oil is not hot enough, the doughnuts will become soggy because of the amount of time it spends in the oil to cook. It’s best to use a thermometer to keep track of the oil temp.
I used shortening to fry these, and it came out less oily. Still, make sure to transfer the cooked doughnuts onto a kitchen paper-lined tray to drain excess oil.
Let’s talk a little bit about the glaze now, which is basically just melted chocolate with a bit of oil. It’s that magic shell glaze that hardens once it touches something cold, however it also makes a great glaze on a normal doughnut. It’s the same firm chocolate glaze you see on products being sold in doughnut shops.
Whether or not you turn these into doughnut ice cream sandwiches, I highly recommend making the chocolate glaze. If you prefer a classic glaze, here’s a recipe that also makes use of evaporated milk. Make sure to use Alaska Classic Evaporated Filled Milk!
So now our ice cream is frozen and doughnuts have cooled, our cast of characters is complete! Slice doughnuts in half, then dip the top part in the chocolate glaze. You can either cut out rounds from the ice cream as I did in the video, or just scoop the ice cream into the doughnuts. The ice cream will be enough to make 6 doughnut ice cream sandwiches, but it will depend how you divide the ice cream. I like to freeze the assembled sandwiches for 30 minutes to set, but you can actually enjoy it right away if you want.
Since this recipe makes 15 doughnuts, you can just dip the rest into the glaze and enjoy them as normal doughnuts. It’s a win either way!
If the ice cream sandwich is not your scene, you can totally make a doughnut a la mode dessert instead. Just top a scoop of ice cream onto the doughnut, drizzle with the magic shell chocolate, then sprinkle on whatever add-ons you like. I’m thinking chopped peanuts would be amazing with these too, whether in a la mode form or doughnut ice cream sandwich form.
Chili Chocolate Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches
For 4 to 6 ice cream sandwiches
Ingredients
For the No-Churn Chili Chocolate Ice Cream (Makes 1 liter)
- 113 grams 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- ½ cup Alaska Classic Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ¼ cups cold heavy cream
For the Classic Yeast-Raised Doughnut (Makes a total of 15)
- ½ cup warm water, around 110°F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Alaska Classic Evaporated Filled Milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, then more as needed
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- Vegetable oil or shortening, for frying
For the Chocolate Glaze**
- 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
- Toppings, as desired
Instructions
Make the No-Churn Chili Chocolate Ice Cream
- 1. Melt your chocolate in a double boiler. In a separate small bowl, dissolve coffee powder and hot water.
- 2. In a large bowl, combine the hot melted chocolate with the Alaska Classic Sweetened Condensed Milk and coffee mixture until homogenous. Stir in vanilla and salt until the mixture is well-combined. Set aside to cool.
- 3. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the cold cream on medium high until soft peaks form.
- 4. Whisk one third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to thin out the chocolate. Fold remaining whipped cream in until incorporated.
- 5. Pour the ice cream into a 6x6 baking tray*** and cover with plastic wrap, making sure it is secure and airtight. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. (This can be frozen up to 2 weeks.)
Make the the Classic Yeast-Raised Donuts
- 6. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, use a whisk to mix together warm water, sugar, Alaska Classic Evaporated Filled Milk, salt, shortening, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until the eggs and most of the shortening have broken up. (You can also use the paddle attachment of your mixer for this part.) Add in half of the flour and the yeast. Whisk until it starts coming together.
- 7. Lock your bowl onto your stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Slowly add in the remaining flour, kneading on low speed until the dough becomes shiny and elastic, about 4 to 5 minutes. We want the dough to be tacky so that the resulting doughnuts are fluffy, but not so much that it sticks all over your hands. You can add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too wet, but make sure not to add too much.
- 8. Use a spatula to transfer the tacky dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise in a warm dry place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- 9. Once dough is risen, punch down and transfer to a floured surface. Gently roll into an even layer about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into doughnut shapes using a floured doughnut cutter. You can also use round cutters in different sizes to cut out the shapes (one big for the main donut, and a small one for the hole in the center). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
- 10. Heat about 2 inches of oil in your pan until around 325°F. (Keep the temperature no hotter than 350°F as you fry the donuts.) Carefully transfer donuts using a spatula into the oil. Fry one side until golden, then flip and fry the opposite side until golden as well, about 3 to 4 minutes. The doughnuts will puff up some more as they cook.
- 11. Transfer to a tray or wire rack lined with kitchen towels to drain any excess oil. (Donuts on their own are great eaten warm with a glaze.) Allow to cool completely before assembling the ice cream sandwiches.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches
- 12. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. This is where we will place the assembled ice cream sandwiches for freezing. The amount of homemade ice cream will be enough to fill 6 doughnuts. Slice the cooled donuts in half.
- 13. Melt the chocolate (using either a microwave or double boiler) and mix together with the oil until smooth and glossy. Dip the top half of your doughnuts into the chocolate and sprinkle with toppings of choice.
- 14. Take out your frozen tray of ice cream. Using a round cookie cutter the same size as your donuts, cut the same number of ice cream rounds as the sandwiches you plan to make. Use a spatula to move the ice cream onto your donut, avoiding contact with your hands as this will speed up the melting of the ice cream.
- 15. Assemble your sandwiches as fast as you can. Place assembled donuts onto your prepared tray and freeze everything until set, at least 30 minutes. Wrap individually in parchment or clingwrap to store.
- 16. Alternatively, you can make a Chocolate Chili Donut Ala Mode dessert by just scooping the ice cream into the middle hole of the donut, then drizzling with chocolate and sprinkling with whatever add-ons you fancy. This is also a great way to serve the donut holes. Enjoy!
Notes
**This glaze forms a magic shell when frozen, but it also firms up nicely at room temperature. Use the leftover glaze on your leftover doughnuts because these are perfect for normal glazing too!
***You can also use a 6x9-inch baking tray for the ice cream and a smaller cookie cutter to make 6 ice cream rounds. In a 6x6 pan, you can cut out 4 rounds, then just scoop the leftovers into the last two sandwiches.
Ice cream adapted from The Vanilla Bean blog; Classic Yeast-Raised Donuts adapted from Cooking Classy blog
This post was brought to you by Alaska Milk Corporation.
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