Perfectly Paired

I had a roommate in college who was very opinionated. She firmly knew that there was a right way and a wrong way, and was never shy about expressing it. Softball was the only right and true sport, it was an abomination to pollute a hot dog with anything other than mustard, and the only perfect peanut butter was Skippy.

This set up a little dynamic tension in our room as I am opposed on principal to having balls thrown at me (I am catching impaired), I like ketchup on my hot dogs, maybe a little chopped onion, too, and my favorite p.b. brand is Jif. Skippy has a more roasted peanuty taste, but Jif has sugar added and to a person of my particular palate (sugar fiend) the added sugar makes wonderful things happen with the peanut taste.

My roommate and I managed to find common ground (school, boys, parties, boys, and boys) so we didn't kill each other during our tenure together, but when we parted ways, we were still each firmly convinced of the rightness of our beliefs. After all, you can leave your clothes lying around, let mold grow in the coffee cups, but you don't mess with my peanut butter!

Since adding sugar to peanut butter only improved it's flavor, I was in the delightful quandary of what to do with the extra filling from my Peanut Butter Creme-Filled Cookies. I thought of rolling it into little balls and dipping it in chocolate. Yumm. Sugared peanut butter with chocolate? Oh yes!

But while that thought was percolating in my brain, I happened across a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream in The Perfect Scoop, and had a brilliant thought. Why not stir my leftovers into the ice cream? Why not, indeed? I did and it was heavenly! The recipe makes a dense, intensely chocolate ice cream with overtones of peanut butter taste, then as you take a bite you hit a pocket of frozen peanut butter filling. If you like peanut butter cups, this is your dream ice cream!

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
- adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 cups (500 ml) half-and-half
1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (130 g) smooth peanut butter

Peanut Butter Creme Filling

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) salted butter, softened
2 Tbsp half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

(For the dark chocolate color and deep chocolate taste be sure to use the Dutch-process cocoa)

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. While it is cooling, make the creme filling. This is a full recipe, so you'll have leftovers to put in cookies, make peanut butter balls, or make many batches of this fabulous ice cream. Or you could reduce the recipe.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions. The last 5 minutes of freezing, stir in the peanut butter filling.

For an over the top, show-stopping dessert, serve it with The World's Best Hot Fudge Sauce.