Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream

Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream is my first attempt at begging Spring to come.  Fresh mint is steeped in milk and cream with natural color and chocolate shavings.  Fresh peppermint is beginning to sprout in my garden and is peeping through a thin layer of snow.  I’m ushering in Spring and St. Patrick’s Day with this natural green refreshing garden mint 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. 

How to make Spring Mint Ice Cream

• In a saucepan, add cream, milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, and kosher salt.  Heat mixture until bubbles begin to form around the edges.  Remove from heat add fresh mint.  Cover and allow to sit and steep for 20 minutes.
• After 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.

How to Make Peppermint Ice Cream Base

• Return milk mixture back to pan and reheat until mixture barely begins to simmer.
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the 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.

Adding Natural Color and Dye

• Try experimenting with adding color to foods with natural ingredients rather than adding food coloring.  Adding 2 tablespoons of spinach juice to the 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 the overnight chill.  
• 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 the manufacturer’s directions.  Add finely chopped chocolate the last 5 minutes of freezing.
• Transfer chilled ice cream to a container.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  

Transfer chilled ice cream to a container.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

How about that natural color!  Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream

Fresh mint is steeped in milk and cream with natural color and chocolate shavings.  Fresh peppermint is beginning to sprout in my garden and is peeping through a thin layer of snow.  I’m ushering in Spring and St. Patrick’s Day with this natural green refreshing garden mint ice cream

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip mint ice cream, Mint ice cream, Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 382 kcal

Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

• 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 sugar, and kosher salt. Heat mixture until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove from heat add fresh mint. Cover and allow to sit and steep for 20 minutes.

2. After 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 the 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 are for cooking custard only. Recommended chill time is at least 4 hours to overnight. Actually, the 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 is completely acceptable.
  I love semi-sweet chocolate, but milk chocolate may be used as well.
• I use organic milk and cream. I purchase my heavy cream that only contains cream. No artificial thickeners. Cane sugar. Cage-free eggs. Making this ice cream health food...right?

Nutrition Facts

Spring Mint Chip Ice Cream

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 382 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 18g90%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 207mg69%

Sodium 117mg5%

Potassium 199mg6%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 1194IU24%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 104mg10%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*This recipe is a revised recipe from 2017.  A new recipe card and links have been added.

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