Mint Chocolate Chip Ice (Printable)

A smooth, refreshing frozen treat with mint flavor and chocolate chips for a summer delight.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Sweeteners

03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

→ Egg Base

04 - 4 large egg yolks

→ Flavorings

05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - Optional: a few drops green food coloring

→ Add-Ins

08 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, mini or chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine heavy cream, whole milk, and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
03 - Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper.
04 - Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 170–175°F (77–80°C). Avoid boiling.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and optional green food coloring.
06 - Pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
07 - Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add chocolate chips during the final minutes of churning.
08 - Transfer churned mixture to a lidded container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours until firm before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like the fancy ice cream parlor version, except you know exactly what went into it and can control the mint intensity to your preference.
  • Once you nail the custard base, you'll find yourself making variations constantly because the technique opens up endless flavor possibilities.
  • There's genuine satisfaction in scooping something you churned yourself instead of buying another pint.
02 -
  • Tempering your eggs isn't optional—it's the difference between creamy custard and scrambled eggs, and the one time someone skips it they regret it immediately.
  • Using pure extracts instead of imitation makes a flavor difference that's shocking; if you only have imitation, use slightly less because it's more intense and can taste chemical.
  • If your ice cream maker has a freezing bowl, freeze it the night before or it won't churn properly and you'll end up with a slushy mess.
03 -
  • If you don't have an ice cream maker, a blender or food processor can work in a pinch—freeze the custard in a shallow pan, break it into chunks every 30 minutes, blend until smooth, and repeat until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
  • For intensity, make your own peppermint extract by steeping crushed peppermint candies or dried peppermint in vodka for two weeks, then strain—it's stronger and tastes more like the real thing than most commercial versions.
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