I Made Mint Chip Ice Cream | Melty Melty Melt

This should be fun!

Ice cream is my favorite dessert – no, food – and it’s getting hot outside and it’s the perfect treat to cool you off.

You guys. I don’t cook. I can’t cook, rather. I burn everything, even things that should not physically burn. I do like baking a lot, though. I’m not sure where ice cream falls. But whatever. I made some, and if you would like to follow my incredibly uncomplicated (hehe) instructions, you can make some for yourself! (Or your family. Mine ate it all.)

For this recipe, you will need an ice cream processor. You can’t just put it in the freezer and expect it to do something. Haha.

I’m loosely following this recipe. Mint chip is my favorite flavor, and I’ve never made ice cream before, so we’re starting with something basic.

Ingredients!

You will need 6 ounces of chocolate chips, a pinch or so of salt, a cup of heavy whipping cream, a cup of milk, six egg yolks (not shown, because we only had four eggs at the time and our chickens had make more eggs before I could get very far in the recipe, which resulted in the actual ice cream consumption being delayed by a day), 2/3 cup sugar, and either peppermint extract or food-grade peppermint essential oil.

Measure that milk and heavy cream . . . (they look the same lol)

As well as the sugar . . .

And the salt . . . and put it all in a pan.

Stir stir stir! Combine it as much as you can.

Put it on the stove and heat it over medium until all the sugar dissolves (this may take a little bit, be patient).

While that is combining, chop up your chocolate chips to whatever size you want. Just make sure whatever size they are will work in your ice cream processor. Mine won’t work with any add-ins bigger than the size of a chocolate chip.

Then pop those in the freezer in a plastic bag.

Next, we’re going to whisk the egg yolks together. Ooh, pretty yellow color.

Slowly pour the milk-cream mixture into the eggs. If you pour it in all at once, the heat will cook the eggs and then you’re going to have scrambled eggs and that’s yucko.

Put it back on the stove and heat it up until it begins to thicken. It should coat the back of your spoon (preferably a wooden spoon, mine is not) and not run and be drippy everywhere.

Get a bowl of ice water . . .

And pull the mixture off the stove. Put it in the ice bath for about five minutes to stop the cooking.

Now we’re going to add the peppermint! This is to taste, and if you’re using peppermint extract you’ll need more to get a miny flavor than if you’re using essential oil. Make sure your oil is food-grade! Some is and some isn’t. This Young Living Vitality peppermint essential oil is food-grade (not sponsored). I used five drops, but my mom said it was too minty so it’s really personal preference. I thought it was just right. You can taste the mixture to see if it’s the flavor you want.

Now, you’re going to either leave the mixture in the ice water for about twenty minutes – or put it in the fridge for a couple of hours, which is better. You just want it to be completely chilled.

Now, process the mixture in your ice cream machine. Mine is this Cuisinart that I got for my birthday. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Add in the frozen chocolate, carefully folding it in.

Ta-da!

Now, leave the ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container (NOT the processor bowl –  that can damage it, apparently) for a couple of hours to solidify.

My final product!

Guys, it tasted like legit ice cream . . . I’m honestly kind of surprised. The ice cream is pretty yellow for mint chip, it’s more of a vanilla-y color, but other than that, it’s real mint chip ice cream!

Would y’all try this ice cream? Have you ever made ice cream before? What’s your favorite flavor? Let me know!

XOXO,

Morgan