Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

 

So today I was talking to myself (right....like I'm the only crazy one?), and I was saying "Ashli, seriously, enough blathering on about yourself and juice.  It is time to talk about real food."

But then the dilemma came...what do I share?  My latest kale concoction that even the kids willingly eat?  The best shrimp on the planet?  My casual dinner party meal?  And then I realized...DUH.  I need to share some real food...like ice cream.  Which is so real, I fully believe I could subsist on it alone. And so, I am back from droning on and on about juicing with this amazing ice cream recipe.

I made this using fresh mint, so if you are expecting the brightly green artificially flavored stuff (which..who am I kidding...is also delicious), then you need to look elsewhere.  The fresh mint gives this a pale off-white/barely tinted green color, and the mint is herbal tasting.  But it is still light, refreshing, and delicious (obvi).

Also, I am adding instructions for my new favorite way of adding chocolate to ice cream.  Feel free to skip this step and just add in some finely chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Makes ~1 quart

3 cups Half and Half

1 cup sugar

1 - 1 1/2 large bunch fresh mint (about 2 cups leaves roughly chopped)

1 cup heavy cream

5 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

4 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate

1.  Roughly chop the mint leaves.  Combine about 2 cups mint with half and half, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy-bottomed sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is steaming and just beginning to bubble.  Remove from heat and let mint steep for at least 30 min, up to 2 hours.  Strain mixture into a large bowl, pressing on mint to get as much moisture out as possible.  Discard mint leaves.

2.  Whisk in egg yolks and cream until fully mixed.  Return to saucepan and heat over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken slightly and coats the back of your spoon (about 7 minutes for me).  Do not let this boil.  Remove from heat and pour through a strainer back into the bowl (or get a new bowl if you aren't as lazy as me and don't mind doing dishes).  Refrigerate until cold, 2-3 hours, or overnight.

3.  Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.  While ice cream is churning, finely chop chocolate and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so to make sure it is smooth.  Let melted chocolate sit 2-3 minutes to cool slightly (you can always re-warm if you need to). When ice cream is pretty much frozen (soft-serve consistency) using a spoon, slowly drizzle chocolate in thin lines over the top of the ice cream.  Allow to mix in, then add more to the top.  Continue until chocolate is gone (chocolate will harden and be broken into tiny bits as the ice cream mixes).  Or I guess your could just mix in the chopped chocolate or the chips...but you know, why make things easy??  Keep in the freezer.  

Or eat it all and tell your family about how good it was later.  Oh...no, that would never happen here.

 

 

So today I was talking to myself (right....like I'm the only crazy one?), and I was saying "Ashli, seriously, enough blathering on about yourself and juice.  It is time to talk about real food."

But then the dilemma came...what do I share?  My latest kale concoction that even the kids willingly eat?  The best shrimp on the planet?  My casual dinner party meal?  And then I realized...DUH.  I need to share some real food...like ice cream.  Which is so real, I fully believe I could subsist on it alone. And so, I am back from droning on and on about juicing with this amazing ice cream recipe.

I made this using fresh mint, so if you are expecting the brightly green artificially flavored stuff (which..who am I kidding...is also delicious), then you need to look elsewhere.  The fresh mint gives this a pale off-white/barely tinted green color, and the mint is herbal tasting.  But it is still light, refreshing, and delicious (obvi).

Also, I am adding instructions for my new favorite way of adding chocolate to ice cream.  Feel free to skip this step and just add in some finely chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Makes ~1 quart

3 cups Half and Half

1 cup sugar

1 - 1 1/2 large bunch fresh mint (about 2 cups leaves roughly chopped)

1 cup heavy cream

5 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

4 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate

1.  Roughly chop the mint leaves.  Combine about 2 cups mint with half and half, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy-bottomed sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is steaming and just beginning to bubble.  Remove from heat and let mint steep for at least 30 min, up to 2 hours.  Strain mixture into a large bowl, pressing on mint to get as much moisture out as possible.  Discard mint leaves.

2.  Whisk in egg yolks and cream until fully mixed.  Return to saucepan and heat over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken slightly and coats the back of your spoon (about 7 minutes for me).  Do not let this boil.  Remove from heat and pour through a strainer back into the bowl (or get a new bowl if you aren't as lazy as me and don't mind doing dishes).  Refrigerate until cold, 2-3 hours, or overnight.

3.  Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.  While ice cream is churning, finely chop chocolate and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so to make sure it is smooth.  Let melted chocolate sit 2-3 minutes to cool slightly (you can always re-warm if you need to). When ice cream is pretty much frozen (soft-serve consistency) using a spoon, slowly drizzle chocolate in thin lines over the top of the ice cream.  Allow to mix in, then add more to the top.  Continue until chocolate is gone (chocolate will harden and be broken into tiny bits as the ice cream mixes).  Or I guess your could just mix in the chopped chocolate or the chips...but you know, why make things easy??  Keep in the freezer.  

Or eat it all and tell your family about how good it was later.  Oh...no, that would never happen here.