Peppermint Stick Ice Cream for Christmas

For the last few years I have made peppermint stick ice cream for Christmas Eve. It is easy and the flavor screams, “Santa is coming.” I don’t have a fancy ice cream machine, just one of those kind with the core bowl you put in the freezer for 24 hours. While that is freezing you make the ice cream base and chill it in the refrigerator at the same time. As long as that core is really frozen and your liquids base is well chilled it only takes about 15-20 minutes of churning to make the most delicious ice cream. What you get is like soft serve. But if you put it in a container and put it in the freezer for a few hours you get hard packed ice cream.

My recipe uses egg yolks, so technically it is a frozen custard. I have made it without egg yolks and it is a little flat tasting. Go for the eggs and you can make meringues with the left over whites.

7 egg yolks

1 c. Sugar

1/2 t. kosher salt

3 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of whole milk

1 1/2 t. Peppermint extract

6 candy canes crushed up.

In a sauce pan put the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk it together for a good minute or two. Slowly pour in the cream and milk whisking the whole time. Put the pan on the stove on a medium heat.

Stir while heating the mixture for about ten minutes. You want to get the mixture to 173° using a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer you want the mixture to be able to coat the back of the wooden spoon and when you draw a line in it the mixture stays on each side of the line.

Pour the contents of the saucepan through a fine mesh strainer into a container with a lid. Add the peppermint extract at this point. Make sure not to add too much extract because it is very strong.

Put the ice cream base in the fridge.

When you are ready to churn pour the base into the frozen core and churn until the mixture is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Remove from the frozen core and add the crushed candy canes. Store covered hidden in your freezer so your family does not eat it before you are ready to serve it. It is extra good with hot fudge.