Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream is my first attempt at begging spring to come. Fresh mint steeped in milk and cream with natural color and chocolate shavings. Peppermint is beginning to sprout in my garden and I can’t wait for fresh herbs. I’m ushering in Spring and St. Patrick’s Day with this naturally green and refreshing ice cream.
I’ve been playing around with natural colors and dyes. Beets make a beautiful pink color in ice cream and icing for cakes. Why not try spinach to make a beautiful and natural spring green? The color is perfect without any spinach flavor to the ice cream. The finished ice cream was tested on my husband who had no idea spinach juice was added to the ice cream base and passed the test. He has no idea he ate spinach juice in his ice cream and he will never find out because he never reads my blog. My secret is safe.
How to make Spring Mint Ice Cream
In a saucepan, add cream, milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and kosher salt. Heat mixture until bubbles begins to form around the edges. Remove from heat add fresh mint. Cover and allow to sit and steep for 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes, strain milk/mint mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard mint. OR you can skip the process of steeping the fresh mint and add peppermint extract after the mixture has cooled.
Return milk mixture back to pan and reheat until mixture barely begins to simmer.
Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1/4 cup sugar into egg mixture.
When the milk has reheated and has come to a low simmer, pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg mixture stirring constantly. Add an additional 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and stir to combine.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Cook until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Test by running your finger across the spoon. It should leave a trail.
Run the hot mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
I have been experimenting with adding color to foods with natural ingredients rather than adding food coloring. Adding 2 tablespoons of spinach juice to my ice cream custard created the perfect spring mint green. I really like it. Of course, you can pass on the spinach juice and add a few drops of green food color OR forget the color altogether. White mint chip ice cream is perfectly acceptable.
Cover lightly and refrigerate until chilled. Approximately 4 hours. It’s best chilled overnight. I’m a big fan of chilling overnight.
Taste the mixture. If you think it needs a stronger mint flavor add a few drops of peppermint extract. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturers directions. Add finely chopped chocolate the last 5 minutes of freezing.
Transfer ice cream to a chilled container. Store covered in the freezer.
Enjoy! How about that natural color?
Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream
Fresh mint was steeped in the milk and cream mixture for a pure peppermint flavor in my Spring mint chip ice cream.
Ingredients
Ice cream:
- 2 cups cream
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tbsp spinach juice or a few drops green food color
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- drew drops peppermint extract optional
Instructions
1. In a saucepan, add cream, milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and kosher salt. Heat mixture until bubbles begins to form around the edges. Remove from heat add fresh mint. Cover and allow to sit and steep for 20 minutes.
2. After the 20 minutes, strain milk/mint mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard mint. OR you can skip the process of steeping the fresh mint and add peppermint extract after the mixture has cooled.
3. Return milk mixture back to pan and reheat until mixture barely begins to simmer. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1/4 cup sugar into egg mixture.
4. When the milk has reheated and has come to a low simmer, pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg mixture stirring constantly. Add an additional 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and stir to combine.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Test by running your finger across the spoon. It should leave a trail.
6. Pour hot mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Of course, you can pass on the spinach juice and add a few drops of green food color OR forget the color altogether. White mint chip ice cream is perfectly acceptable.
7. Cover lightly and refrigerate until chilled. Approximately 4 hours. It’s best chilled overnight. I’m a big fan of chilling overnight.
8. Taste the mixture. If you think it needs a stronger mint flavor add a few drops of peppermint extract. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturers directions. Add finely chopped chocolate the last 5 minutes of freezing.
9. Transfer ice cream to a chilled container. Freeze until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- Please note that the times specified is for cooking custard only. Recommended chill time is at least 4 hours to overnight. Actually freezing time is approximately 30 minutes.
- Chances are you think I'm nuts for using fresh mint and steeping it into the milk. If you don't want to mess with that, just add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract.
- If you think I'm even crazier for juicing spinach to create the green color, just use a few drops of green food color OR don't use any color at all. White mint ice cream in completely acceptable.
- I love semi-sweet chocolate, but milk chocolate may be used as well.
- Of course, I use organic milk and cream. I purchase my heavy cream from Trader Joes in a cardboard carton. It only contains cream. No artificial thickeners. Cane sugar. Cage-free eggs. Making this ice cream health food...right?
Janet, this looks SO good!! 🙂
Thank you, Candi. It was so great to meat you.
I love how This Recipe is naturally dyed!
Thanks, Ann. I appreciate your comment.