- Merrill
Really more of a concept than a recipe, this never fails to please in my house. This mint-infused ice cream makes a refreshing accompaniment to a dense chocolate cake, and it's also fantastic sandwiched between two homemade chocolate chip cookies. If you're a purist who thinks that chocolate and mint should never co-mingle, you can rest assured this ice cream is great all by itself.
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Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Serves 6 to 8
- 1 quart homemade or good store-bought vanilla ice cream (for an excellent recipe, go here)
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or starlight mints (I like to smash them up in a heavy-duty plastic bag using a rolling pin, but you can also use a food processor)
- Pure peppermint extract
1. Soften the ice cream at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Scoop it into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the ice cream on low speed for about 30 seconds, until it starts to become smooth.
2. Add the crushed candy canes and 1
teaspoon peppermint extract to the bowl and continue to beat on low speed just until these are combined with the ice cream. Taste and beat in more peppermint extract if the peppermint flavor is too faint. Quickly transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and return to the freezer for a couple of hours before serving so it can re-harden.
* If you don't have a standing mixer, you can use a bowl and a wooden spoon -- just be ready for a bit of a workout!
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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14 Comments
Hill C.
January 4, 2010
I have candy canes to use up and this sounds like a great way to enjoy them. I'm going to put the ice cream in a chocolate ready pie crust in the freezer to re-harden to get my chocolate fix! Peppermint Ice Cream Pie...
Merrill S.
January 4, 2010
An Oreo crust filled with peppermint stick ice cream sounds divine -- especially since I'm craving something sweet right now!
csmcbride
January 3, 2010
Fantastic idea. Brigham's peppermint stick is a summer staple in our house and this will make for a nice surprise when we cook for the in-laws later this week.
Kelsey B.
December 31, 2009
Sometimes I do this with Peppermint Bark! Add pieces of it with a mixer. Yum!
Savour
December 30, 2009
You forgot the most important step -- serve with hot fudge!
Merrill S.
December 31, 2009
So true. I was a little afraid if I wrote "chocolate" one more time, people might protest.
Aliwaks
December 30, 2009
I tasting this is in my mind in a big white bowl oozing with warm dark chocolate ganache on top.. but then again my mind has always been a bit of a glutton.
Loves F.
December 29, 2009
This came at a perfect time! Just when I was thinking of bringing out the ol' ice cream maker and wondering what to do with all those leftover candy canes from Christmas!
SarahS
December 29, 2009
Even though it's Mt Everest-style weather out there, I'd love to have this right now. Thanks for the post!
All A.
December 29, 2009
We made some Sweet Cream Ice Cream from Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream book last weekend and added some crushed peppermint sticks and a chopped dark chocolate bar speckled with bits of mint. Yummmmm.
I like to use extra candy canes as stir sticks in my hot cocoa.
I like to use extra candy canes as stir sticks in my hot cocoa.
cheese1227
January 3, 2010
Great ideas. I was just string at two boxes up unused candy canes and wondering what to do with them!
Merrill S.
January 4, 2010
I'm happy to report that my candy cane supply has now been almost completed demolished.
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