HomeGrownBeets: Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream

Yes, I know it's almost October.  And I'm just now making ice cream.  But here in Texas, it's still warm.  And I'm eating dinner outside.  And I have a bunch of mint in my fridge that's on its last delicate and expensive leg.  So, voila, mint chip ice cream.

This is probably my favorite flavor of ice cream.  But after I found out that most of the stuff you buy has about a ton of green food coloring in it, I swore off.  Yes, I was a little unsure about pureeing up a bunch of mint, but it actually gave the ice cream that pretty green color without the artificial additives.  And do yourself a favor and use Ghirardelli chocolate chips or something similar.  Trust me.

Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream

Adapted from HomeGrownBeets blog

⅔ cup fresh mint leaves (about one big bunch)

¾ cup granulated sugar

2½ cups whole milk

1½ cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

¼ cup corn syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup chopped dark chocolate

Put the mint leaves and sugar into a food processor bowl.  Process until the mint is finely ground.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean (not the vanilla extract) over medium heat.  Stir occasionally.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then add the sugar and mint mixture and whisk until combined.

When the milk mixture steams and is hot but not simmering, whisk ¼ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then whisk in another ¼ cup of the hot milk.  This helps temper the eggs so they don’t scramble when you add them to the hot milk.

Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the tempered egg mixture.  Return the saucepan to the cooktop over medium heat.  Add the corn syrup and salt.  Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.  Do not allow the mixture to boil.  When you draw your finger across the spoon, it should leave a clear mark through the custard.

If you choose to use vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean, add the extract now.

Quickly set the saucepan into a large bowl filled with ice water to cool the custard.  You can also pour the custard into another heat proof pan if you prefer.  Stir the custard for a few minutes.  Cover and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to separate out the mint leaves and the vanilla bean. 

Churn the custard in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Add the chocolate when the ice cream begins to harden.