3/4 cup sugar1 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten* 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped very finely 2 cups heavy cream
Combine sugar, milk, salt, scraped vanilla bean and pods and two rosemary sprigs in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture begins to steam and simmer. Remove the rosemary and vanilla pods. Stir in the cocoa powder, being sure to incorporate any lumps.
Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to temper the eggs and return everything to the saucepan. Heat until thickened, but do not boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate until chocolate is melted. Pour into a chilled bowl and place the other two rosemary sprigs just on the surface (this will impart some of the rosemary’s oil, but don’t submerge/mix the sprigs in as the chocolate mixture will become very thick and it’s hard to get the sprigs out cleanly. Refrigerate for about two hours until cold.
Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and gently stir into the chocolate mixture. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
*With the leftover egg whites, you could make quick and simple meringue cookies. Here is the basic recipe.