This homemade ice cream recipe creates a very rich, luscious chocolate sweet treat.

Making your own ice cream from scratch is not difficult, but it does take more time than reaching into the freezer with a scoop in your hand, which is what most of us are used to.

But there is nothing quite like homemade ice cream.

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus freezing Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 pound semi-sweet or milk chocolate
4 egg yolks
2 pints heavy cream

Directions:
Put sugar and water into a saucepan and stir over gentle heat until they dissolve. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently for about 7 minutes, creating a syrup.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and stir into the hot syrup. Stir until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Put a bit of the syrup/chocolate mixture into the eggs and beat it together. Beat this mixture into the syrup. Let cool.

Whip the cream until thick, but not too stiff. Fold it into the chocolate mixture. Do not beat at this point, but fold it in well.

Freeze in an electric ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. You can also pour the mixture into a freezer tray and freeze. Beat the mixture twice, at hourly intervals. Cover, seal, and freeze.

Remove the ice cream from freezer and allow to soften a bit before serving.

Serves 4 - 6.

• Add a few drops of mint flavoring and 1/2 cup chocolate chips for a wonderful, refreshing mint chocolate chip ice cream.

• Just add the 1/2 cup chocolate chips for chocolate chocolate chip ice cream.