Peppermint Ice Cream From Cooking Light Food

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat half-and-half cream to 175°; stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately., Quickly transfer to a large bowl; place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate several hours or overnight., Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. For each batch, stir in some of the peppermint candy. Freeze 2-4 hours or until firm.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Beat heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in large bowl on medium speed with electric mixer in large bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Fold in sweetened condensed milk, cookies and peppermint candies until smooth.
• Pour into 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or other 2-quart container; cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

PEPPERMINT STICK ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale yellow. While whisking, slowly add the cream and the milk. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to cool at room temperature. Stir in the peppermint extract. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Set a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan in the freezer to chill.
• If adding the chocolate chunks, stir together the chocolate and vegetable oil and set aside. Churn the ice cream mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of processing, add the candy cane pieces and very slowly drizzle in the chocolate mixture. (If added too quickly, the chocolate will clump; when the ice cream has been fully churned, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut any pieces that are too large.) Transfer the ice cream to the prepared loaf pan, cover well with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

LAVENDER (OR PEPPERMINT) ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and lavender. Place over medium-high heat and, with a wooden spoon, bruise and crush the herbs against the bottom and sides of pan while bringing mixture just to a boil. Remove from heat. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the lavender flavor to infuse the cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Discard the lavender flowers.
• Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Gradually whisk a ladleful of the cream mixture into the eggs, then pour the eggs back into the cream mixture, whisking.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not boil. Transfer this mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold.
• Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
• Peppermint Ice Cream: Substitute 1/2 cup firmly packed clean, fresh peppermint leaves (1/4 cup dried) for the lavender. Proceed as above.
• Optional: The leaves won't give up much of their green color, so you can add 1 or 2 drops of red or green food coloring. Also, you can add a handful of crushed peppermint candies just 1 second, not 2, before turning off the ice cream maker.

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Coat 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Line bottom of each pan with waxed paper.
• Combine cocoa, ¾ cup boiling water, and butter, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cool.
• Combine brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl, stirring well until blended.
• Add egg substitute; beat with a mixer 2 minutes or until light and creamy.
• Add the cocoa mixture, and beat 1 minute.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; beat 1 minute or until blended. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• Remove from pans.
• Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours or until slightly frozen.
• Spread ice cream in an 8-inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap.
• Cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm.
• To assemble cake, place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake pedestal.
• Remove ice cream layer from freezer; remove plastic wrap.
• Place ice cream layer, bottom side up, on top of cake layer.
• Top with remaining cake layer.
• Combine whipped topping and peppermint extract, and stir until blended.
• Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
• Sprinkle with crushed peppermints.
• Freeze until ready to serve.
• Let cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before slicing.

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with wax paper.
• Combine cocoa, water, and butter, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cool.
• Combine sugars in a large bowl, stirring well until blended. Add egg substitute; beat 2 minutes or until light and creamy. Add cocoa mixture, and beat for 1 minute.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to bowl; beat for 1 minute or until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours or until slightly frozen.
• Spread ice cream in an 8-inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap. Cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm.
• To assemble cake, place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake pedestal. Remove ice cream layer from freezer; remove plastic wrap. Place ice cream layer, bottom side up, on top of cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer.
• Combine whipped topping and peppermint extract, and stir until blended. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Freeze until ready to serve. Let cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before slicing.

PEPPERMINT CRUNCH ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, salt, and McCormick Vanilla and Peppermint Extracts until sugar has dissolved.
• Pour in crushed candy cane, mixing until mostly dissolved. It's okay if the candy clumps - the ice cream maker will slowly separate them.
• Remove ice cream bowl/attachment from freezer and attach/place it per your ice cream maker's instructions. Pour prepared ice cream mixture into the chilled bowl/attachment.
• Churn ice cream for 30-35 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
• If you'd like soft ice cream, serve peppermint crunch ice cream immediately with additional crushed peppermint candy on top. If you'd like firmer ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a storage container, sprinkle the top with additional crushed peppermint candy, and let it freeze for 2-4 hours.

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Make sure the sugar and salt completely dissolve.
• Pour the cream into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and set a medium-mesh sieve on top.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
• Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, about 5-7 minutes.
• Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Then stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• One the mixture is thoroughly chilled, add peppermint extract, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, tasting the mixture after each addition, until you reach the desired level of peppermintiness. (Different peppermint extracts vary in strength. This recipe uses 2 teaspoons of McCormick peppermint extract.).
• Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Once the ice cream has been formed in the ice cream maker, it will be fairly soft. Fold in the crushed peppermint candy. Put in an airtight plastic container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA CHIP ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Gently beat eggs.
• Combine milk, sugar and eggs in large saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats spoon (160°); about 15 minutes. (I tend to watch the clock more than the temperature.)
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in creamer.
• Chill.
• Pour into ice cream maker and prepare according to directions.
• In the last few minutes of ice cream freezing add 1 Cup of chopped Andes Mints (or whatever the timing your ice cream machine directions suggests).
• Notes.
• I have an ice cream maker attachment to my KitchenAid mixer and would recommend the attachment to everyone. I took a standard and easy ice cream recipe and modified it to fit my tastes. If you would like to make plain vanilla add 2 Cups of 1/2 n 1/2 and 1 T vanilla instead of the creamer. If you want to make it a little less minty you could add 1 C of mini-chocolate chips instead of the Andes Mints.