Smooth, rich, creamy Mint Chocolate Chip is my favorite ice cream and this recipe for homemade Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Brown Eyed Baker was fabulous. I supposed technically it’s frozen custard because there’s egg yolk in the recipe.

I was searching for a Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream recipe because I wanted to use my new chocolate chipper that my sweet friend Tiffany, Food Finery, gave me for my birthday. I also received these cute new ice cream bowls from my wonderful daughter and SIL. Do you scream for ice cream?

I made a couple of small changes to the recipe. I used peppermint extract, a finely chopped chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips, and half and half instead of whole milk, similar to what I use in my favorite strawberry ice cream recipe.

Summer’s right around the corner and is there anything more fun than having homemade ice cream for dessert. Michelle, the Brown Eyed Baker, has lots of great ice cream recipes, as well as a post on making ice cream without an ice cream maker if you don’t have one yet. Thanks Michelle for sharing this one.

Yield: 1 quart

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and a Sub Zero Giveaway

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Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)
• 11/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 3 - 5 drops green food coloring (optional)
• 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Warm 1 cup of the heavy cream, half and half, granulated sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then pour mixture back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (if using a thermometer, it should be right around 170°F).
4. Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into the large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.
5. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and the food coloring (if using), and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight).
6. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s directions, adding the chopped chocolate during the last 5 minutes of churning.

Giveaway: Have you tried Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt yet? It’s so cool. 😉 Instead of churning ice cream the traditional way, they use liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze your choice of ice cream base (premium, custard, yogurt, soy or even rice milk) and you also choose your mix-ins. So every dish of ice cream is custom made while you watch, and watching them make it is half the fun.

My twin boys and I attended the grand opening of the Murray Sub Zero store and we were able to try lots of different flavors and bases. (The custard was our favorite base, especially mixed with strawberries and chocolate chips.) I was also given $5 gift cards to give away to my readers. So, if you haven’t tried Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt yet and live in an area near one of their stores leave me a comment that you’d like to win a gift card. The first two people to comment that they live near a Sub Zero store will receive two $5 gift cards. Good luck!