Vanilla Mint Ice Cream Food

VANILLA MINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk the cream and milk together, and pour them into a saucepan set over medium-low heat. When the milk and cream begin to bubble ever so slightly at the edges of the pan, stir in the honey until it dissolves. Turn off the heat.
• Toss the mint into the saucepan. Take a paring knife, and cut a slit length-wise in the vanilla bean, then toss it in with the liquid ingredients and the mint. Cover the pot, and let the vanilla bean and mint steep in the sweetened milk for 20 minutes. Strain into a mixing bowl, cover it well and transfer it to the refrigerator until cold - about 2 hours.
• When the ice cream mix has grown cold, remove it from the fridge and whisk in the egg yolks until thoroughly combined and uniform.
• Pour the mix into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the ice cream maker's manufacturer's instructions.

FRESH VANILLA MINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Tear the mint leaves into small pieces (you want to release as much oil from the leaves as possible to infuse maximum flavor), and add to the milk and cream mixture. Place over medium-low heat and heat until just steaming. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and allow the fresh mint to infuse in the milk and cream mixture for at least one hour.
• Strain the mint milk mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a medium bowl. Press the mint leaves with the back of a wooden spoon to release as much oil as possible (the cream milk mixture might be light green in color, don't worry!).
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
• Transfer the strained milk mixture back into the same saucepan and heat over medium heat until just beginning to boil. Remove from the heat immediately. Temper the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks slowly, whisking continously with your other hand as you pour. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan, and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the ice cream base has thickened considerably and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Once the ice cream base is thick, pour it through a fine-meshed sieve into a large heat-proof bowl. Place the vanilla bean pod on a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise with a pairing knife. Using the back of your knife, scrape the vanilla bean caviar and whisk it into the ice cream base. Add the scraped vanilla bean halves to the mixture as well. Set the bowl in an ice bath, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the base has cooled. Place ice cream base in an airtight container and set in the refrigerator until it has completely chilled.
• Remove the ice cream base from the fridge. Remove the scraped vanilla pod from the ice cream and discard. Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the ice cream in an airtight container, cover the surface of the ice cream lightly with parchment paper or plastic wrap (I use this type of container, which works great!).
• Freeze the ice cream for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.

MINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Blend mint, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt together on high speed until the mint leaf bits are tiny, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream and blend until uniform, about 15 seconds.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes, adding chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

MINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Special Equipment: Mix It In Soft-Serve Ice Cream Maker
• Place milk and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer on low speed for about 1 to 2 minutes or a whisk to mix until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and mint extract. Add food coloring in drops to reach desired color. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Turn on ice cream maker and pour in ingredients. Allow to mix and freeze until desired serving consistency is reached. Begin checking consistency after 12 to 15 minutes of freezing. If ice cream is not thick enough, pour back into the freezer bowl and continue mixing/freezing until desired consistency is reached, checking every few minutes.

FRESH MINT & CHOC CHIP ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a plastic bag, seal and freeze for at least 30 mins. Bash the frozen chocolate with a rolling pin until it shatters into small chunks inside the bag.
• Pour the milk and cream into a medium heavy-based pan, then add the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds into the mixture. Heat the creamy milk, stirring occasionally, until almost boiling. Add the mint leaves and stalks, cover with a lid, and leave for 15 mins.
• Strain the liquid, pressing the mint with a spatula to extract maximum flavour. Discard the leaves and stalks, and scoop out the vanilla pod.
• Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and pale - about 5 mins if you are using an electric whisk. Return the minty cream to a clean pan and bring back to almost boiling.
• Pour half the hot liquid onto the egg and sugar mixture, whisking to combine everything before adding the remaining liquid. Return the custard to the rinsed-out pan and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, until lightly thickened - about 3-4 mins. Take care it doesn't get too hot or it may curdle. Strain the custard into a bowl and leave to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming. Chill the custard until really cold - it's a good idea to leave it overnight.
• Churn the custard in an ice-cream machine until frozen. Add the chocolate pieces just before it sets. If you don't have a machine, pour the custard into a chilled container and freeze for 2-3 hrs until the sides become icy. Whisk thoroughly to break up any crystals, then add the chocolate and freeze until solid. Leave to soften in the fridge for 20-30 mins, then serve in bowls or cones.