Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

I've deemed this the summer of ice cream. I've had my small Panasonic ice cream maker for years after getting it on sale at Amazon for $15. This is the first year I've really used it though, and definitely the first time I've made ice cream in it.

As I said before, Dave's favorite is mint chocolate chip, so when I wanted to make another batch of ice cream, I decided to flip the combination and make a dark chocolate ice cream with mint flavoring. This was the best batch yet!

I usually prefer a non-custard base ice cream, but for some reason this combination worked. It only includes three egg yolks and it was just enough to make it nice and creamy without adding any elasticity that you see at Cold Stone or such.

INGREDIENTS

1 cups half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa
3 large egg yolks
1 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat half-and-half and sugar over low heat just until sugar dissolves. Add dark chocolate cocoa and stir until incorporated.


2. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and heavy cream until yolks are pale yellow and slightly thick.


3. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling in 1/4 cups of hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg yolks into hot half-and-half and cook over low to medium-low heat until it thickens. Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.
   Chill mixture completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. For best results, transfer to a lidded container and freeze overnight.

Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Apparently we've been on an ice cream kick lately. Dave's favorite ice cream ever is Mint Chocolate Chip and his favorite candy is Andes mints, so the combination was obvious. One of my favorite boards posted this recipe and I just subbed Andes mints for Junior Mints.

Homemade Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 small box Junior mints, diced or halved 1/2 box Andes mints, diced
4 drops green food coloring, optional

Mix milk, salt and sugar with a wire whip until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Freeze in 1 1/2 quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's instructions.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Since I now have an abundance of vanilla beans from a great Amazon deal, the first thing I wanted to do after making Vanilla Extract was make ice cream. Vanilla Bean is and always will be my favorite flavor. Nothing beats feeling those seeds between your teeth and the crunch they make when you bite them just right.

For this recipe I went to my hero, Alton Brown.

This makes the perfect amount of ice cream for my small Panasonic ice cream maker at 3 cups of liquid.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly) I didn't use this
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.

Brownie and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

I'm not going to lie. These were a pain in the butt to make. Actually, that's probably an understatement. So many things went wrong, but I looked into my inner Bob Ross to realize mistakes are just Happy Little Accidents and an opportunity to be creative. Because she is Martha Stewart, the recipe actually calls for you to MAKE your own ice cream. I'm lazy so I bought Breyers Double Churn Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream. It worked okay, but even after sitting out for 15 minutes, the texture never was really spreadable. It went straight from a solid to a liquid, so I had to work quickly.

TIPS

If you make the full recipe, make sure your cooling racks are as large as the pan you use. Otherwise your brownie will break, but this makes for a delicious ice cream topping.

If part of your brownie breaks after assembly while in the freezer, don't fret. The split topped brownie actually looked really beautiful with some ice cream peaking through.

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
11 ounces (2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups Peanut Butter Ice Cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 13- by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray parchment.


2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Stir in eggs, 1 at a time, and then stir in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. (Do not overmix.)


3. Divide batter between pans. Use an offset spatula to spread batter into thin, even layers. Bake, rotating pans once, until batter just begins to set, 8 to 10 minutes. (The surfaces will look dry, and testers inserted in the centers will come out wet.) Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.


4. To assemble, place the flat side of a large wire rack over 1 brownie, and invert rack, brownie, and pan together. Remove pan and parchment. Repeat with remaining brownie. Place a clean rimmed baking sheet over 1 brownie, and invert pan, brownie, and rack together. Remove rack. The brownie should be in the pan, top side up.


5. Spread ice cream in a smooth, even layer over brownie in pan. Align pan lengthwise with remaining brownie on rack, and use rack to quickly and carefully flip brownie onto ice cream. Remove rack. Press top brownie gently. Cover and freeze until firm, at least overnight (or up to 1 week).


6. Uncover, and cut into squares. Serve immediately (or cover and freeze ice cream sandwiches overnight).

Yeilds 3 dozen sandwiches.