Peppermint Ice Cream

I’m such a hypocrite.

Two days ago, I was rambling on and on about all the things that I do to substitute for heavy cream.

And then I just smack you in the face with a recipe that calls for a quart of heavy cream.

How rude.

Sorry?

And I know that homemade ice cream recipes might be inaccessible to a lot of readers, because really, how many of us actually own ice cream makers?

But I don’t want to be a Scrooge! So in spirit of the holidays, I thought you might enjoy lusting over the recipe regardless of whether or not you own an ice cream maker.

Because it is soooooo good and maybe you will give it a shot one day!

I got so nostalgic as I was making this ice cream. I remember being a little kid and helping my mom hammer out the peppermint sticks with my older sister.

The result is a creamy, delectable treat with surprising crunches of peppermint candies that practically sing their own Christmas carols.

It’s kind of like your own holiday party in a bowl.

Get it while it’s hot, people! (Or, I mean, cold!) This ice cream graces the table just once a year!

What will YOU be making for dessert for your holiday feast this season?

Old-Fashioned Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Adapted from Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet Cookbook, by Lora Brody
Makes two quarts

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• 24 ounces good-quality hard peppermint candy (about 1ΒΎ cups)
• 2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
• 8 extra-large eggs
• 4 cups (1 quart) heavy cream

If using a KitchenAid Stand Mixer Ice Cream Maker Attachment: For best results, store the freeze bowl in the back of your freezer where the temperature is coldest for at least 15 hours ahead of time. Adjusting your freezer to its coldest setting will help the freeze bowl make firmer ice cream faster.

Place the candy with the wrappers on in a heavy duty zip-lock bag. Tap each one once with a hammer or meat tenderizer to break it into several small pieces. Try not to pulverize the candies. Leave some large pieces about ¼-⅜” in size. Remove the plastic wrappers from the candies and set aside. Combine 2½ cups (about 16 ounces) of the candy with the evaporated milk in a large bowl, reserving the rest of the candy for later. Cover this mixture and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the eggs. Reserve the white for another use. Whisk the egg yolks together with the cream in a large pot or saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, about 20 minutes (be patient). Do not allow the custard to boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any egg pieces. Cover and let cool completely in the fridge.

Once the custard and the evaporated milk mixture are fully chilled, combine them together and mix. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a running ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. (I mix mine for about 8 minutes at lowest speed in my KitchenAid attachment until thick and the motor starts to struggle.) Remove the paddle and fold in the reserved candy.

Pack the mixture to one 2-quart container or two 1-quart containers, and freeze.

xoxo,