Peppermint Ice Cream

Before our family decided to jet-set during Christmas time, we had some normal Christmas traditions.  My family would go to Grandma’s house on Christmas eve, go to church at St. Clare’s in Santa Clara, have dinner at gram’s, and open up all the presents from my grandma, Aunt Lynn, and Uncle Charlie. My Aunt Lynn would always spoil Conor and I with tons of gifts and mine usually had to do with crafts. One year she gave me a whole scrapbooking set which really got me started on my scrapbooking craze and another year she got me an ice cream maker. I used the ice cream maker a lot at first, but like any other Christmas present, it got put away in a closet and forgotten about. Until one day a few months ago, I was thinking about how I wanted to make ice cream but needed an ice cream maker, and realized I have one collecting dust in my parents’ house! I decided to wipe the dust off just in time for some holiday ice cream making. Grab your broken candy canes and stick your ice cream maker in the freezer because it’s time to make some peppermint ice cream!

Peppermint Ice Cream

*Adapted from my Krups Ice Cream Maker Recipe Book

• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
• ½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes (put aside til the end)

Start warming the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add warm milk into the mixture while continuing to whisk. Pour mixture back in the pan and heat slowly until thickened, stirring constantly.  It should look like a liquidy pudding, and will stick to the back of your spoon. Be sure to not let it boil. Once it has cooled to room temperature, add cream and peppermint extract and chill overnight.

The next day, turn your ice cream maker on and let it run its course for about 25-40 minutes. In the last couple minutes, add in the crushed peppermint candies.  Either serve immediately, or put in an airtight container and back in the freezer.

Chocolate Ganache

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 4-5 ounces of chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips)

Put the cream and chocolate chips in a metal bowl, and put this on top of a pan with boiling water (or use a double boiler if you have one!) Let them melt together and take off the heat. Serve on top of your ice cream with some crushed peppermint candies.

A perfect dessert for a Crabby Christmas in the City dinner 🙂