Okay, okay... I know. It is January. Why am I making ice cream, right? Well, because I like ice cream. Strike that... I love ice cream.
And is there really any time of the year when it is inappropriate to churn homemade ice cream? Let's be real here. ;)
After making what my son calls my "fancy" flavors (CLICK HERE to check out my recipe for a festive Cranberry Cheesecake Ice Cream), I decided to make a flavor that he could appreciate- Mint Cookies & Cream. If you fancy the Mint Oreo Blizzard from the Dairy Queen, then you will LOVE this homemade ice cream recipe.
What you will need:
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups milk (I used 2% organic milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
A tad less than a 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (Be cautious with the peppermint! It is strong. A little goes a long way.)
5-6 drops of green food coloring (optional)
1 cup, plus 1/2 cup of crushed chocolate cookie sandwiches (yeah, like Oreos ;) )
Crushed ice and rock salt for your ice cream maker
Before you get started with your ice cream mix, be sure you chill the container for your ice cream maker in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and the regular milk. No kidding this is the base for almost all my homemade ice cream recipes. I prefer using the sweetened condensed milk because there is no need to use sugar. Typically if you use sugar in your ice cream base, you have to heat the liquids and then you have to wait for them to cool and then chill the mixture.
Too. much. time.
Now whisk in your vanilla and peppermint extracts. Add in green food coloring 2 drops at a time until you reach your desired tint of green. You can, of course, just skip the food coloring altogether. My son just prefers the mint ice cream to be well.... green. ;)
Now you have your mint ice cream base. Pour it into the chilled ice cream maker container. Churn for about 25 minutes, then add the cup of crushed cookies and mix in the ice cream maker for another 3 minutes.
Once your ice cream is done churning, scoop it all into a freezer safe container. I added an additional 1/2 cup of crushed cookies and mixed them into the ice cream at this point. This is also optional, but I like to have a few big chunks of cookies in my ice cream. :)
The ice cream needs to set up in the freezer for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. When you are ready to serve, let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Homemade ice cream freezes harder than store bought ice cream.
Just scoop and serve!
Are you still churning homemade ice cream in the chill of winter? What is your favorite flavor to make?
