Minty Fresh

11/17/13

In preparation of leaving for Florida soon, people would normally place themselves on a strict diet and exercise regime. What have Justin and I been doing?... Making ice cream of course! After running across a collection of amazing ice cream recipes, I decided to buy a small ice cream maker. This purchase was one of the best ideas I have had in a while. It's fun to use a basic recipe to make all kinds of different flavors and combinations. It's fairly easy and you pretty much can't go wrong with whatever you decide to experiment with! One of my favorite ice cream flavors is mint chocolate chip and when Justin grabbed a bag of Andes mints at the store, we immediately knew those would be tossed in our ice cream that night! Most homemade ice cream is made with whole milk, but this recipe is much lighter and easier on the stomach because it is made with skim milk. If you own an ice cream maker, I dare you to give it a try!

Andes Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 Cups Milk (I used skim)

2 Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Half & Half

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Mint Extract

3/4-1 Cup Crushed Andes Mints

Directions:

1. Unwrap the mints and crush them in a bag to desired consistency.

2. In a saucepan, whisk half & half, eggs yolks, sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until the mixture is fairly thick and will coat the back of a metal spoon.

3. Remove mixture from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

4. Stir in the milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract.

5. Chill mixture in the refrigerator until it is completely cooled.

6. Once cooled, pour the mixture into your already frozen ice cream maker.

7. Just before the freezing cycle is completed, stir in the crushed mints. (This allows the mixture to combine evenly and prevents the chocolate from falling to the bottom.)

8. Once the ice cream is completely frozen, it's time to scoop and refresh your mouth with a minty fresh dessert!

(We did not do this, but if you want your ice cream to look "minty" feel free to add a drop or two of green food coloring to the mix!)