Recipe: 'The Little Friend' Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

The Little Friend Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Makes 2 ½ to 3 quarts

3 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 large egg yolks

1 ½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1 ½ cups crushed peppermint candies

Prepare an ice bath by filling the sink or a very large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Set a large glass or metal bowl over it, and a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the milk, cream, and vanilla and heat over medium heat until just before boiling (you will see little bubbles form around the edge of the pan and steam rising from the surface of the liquid).

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy and light yellow.

Transfer some of the scalded milk-cream mixture to a 1‑cup glass measuring cup. Slowly pour it into the yolks in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to do this until all of the scalded milk-cream is incorporated into the egg yolks.

Pour the yolk-cream mixture back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl over the ice bath, whisk in the peppermint extract, and continue to whisk thebase until it cools to room temperature. Cover the bowl and transfer it to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 8 hours.

When the base is thoroughly cooled, spin it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream has set, add the crushed peppermint candies and allow it to spin for another minute until they are incorporated throughout. (If your ice cream maker can spin only 1 quart at a time, add ¾ cup of the candies to 1 quart of base while the ice cream is spinning, then repeat.)

VORACIOUS recipes courtesy Little, Brown and Company
Copyright ©2015 by Cara Nicoletti