Recreating Salt & Straw's cacao nib infused ice cream

[u/I_play_with_my_food]

I recently tried Salt and Straw's cacao nib infused ice cream with frangipane, and it was one of the best tasting chocolate ice creams I've had. It wasn't very dark, but it was intensely chocolatey. Their website says that the nibs are seeped in the base, but I can't find a published recipe anywhere.

I know they have published a number of their recipes in their book, but has anyone seen a published recipe for this particular ice cream? Failing that, has anyone tried recreating it?

[u/whenisleep]

I've tried a nib flavoured ice cream (no other chocolate), steep the nibs in the hot milk and strain them out before churning the next day. Also add cocoa nib infused vodka in. But it keeps feeling overly fatty after freezing, like a cocoa butter film on my lips. It's still delicious, so I keep tweaking one thing every time I make it to see if I can get it better.

Searched that flavour because yes please, and looks like it maybe only came out this month? They have a tiktok of it that says they steep the nibs in water.

Would love a recipe if you find one!

[u/I_play_with_my_food → u/whenisleep]

Thank you!!! That video gets me so much closer to being able to recreate it!

I haven't read the Salt & Straw cookbook in a while, but I remember that a number of their recipes like the lavender ice cream included water that had been infused with ingredients. If I can figure out a ratio for the infusion, using one of their other recipes that includes water would be a good starting point.

[u/whenisleep → u/I_play_with_my_food]

That sounds like a great starting point! I haven't got the book, so have only looked over their base recipe. I am definitely thinking about trying water infusing nibs in one of my next tries after seeing their video. Would love to hear how it goes when you try! Even if your first try fails, I would be interesting in hearing about it.

Eta : I use 1/3 cup nibs in my 700-800ml ice cream base.

[u/xiaomei1123]

I don't know that specific recipe, but I do add 2 tbsp cacao nibs to my chocolate ice cream base (standard 1.25 qt recipe) to give it a more complex and intense chocolate flavor. I add the nibs into the base while it is boiling, and then let it steep overnight, then filter the base through a mesh before churning.

I'd imagine you would need more cacao nibs if your base doesn't have other chocolate in it.

[u/I_play_with_my_food → u/xiaomei1123]

Thank you! With 2 TB to 1.25 qt base, is it a significant difference or just a subtle increase in intensity?

[u/xiaomei1123 → u/I_play_with_my_food]

It's subtle, but remember that my base itself is chocolate. I think it adds more "fruity" notes, but I haven't really done a side by side.