Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

We started making ice cream at 8:45 on a work night. Halfway through grating the chocolate chips, Katie had had enough and she went to play a game on the computer. Kevin came in to help grate the chocolate and left the kitchen in a chocolate massacre. There were melty chocolate shavings covering every flat surface in a 10 foot radius. I started to analyze if he did more harm than good, but then figured that he grated all of it in less than 3 minutes, plus it was already done, so I should count my blessings and give him a big ole' kiss.

After the ice cream was in the freezer I sat down with the laptop to check Facebook. There it was on Katie's status: "I'm so bored."

WHAT THE HECK!??! I'm staying up late for HER ice cream, and she sneaks off to write about how bored she is. What gives?

Then she made up for it, plus some, with this sweet note on my windshield:

(And she laughed the whole time she helped me write this post. Here is a refresher on the nickname Megasaurous Wrecks.)

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 1/2 C milk

2 3/4 C sugar

1 t salt

2 1/2 C half and half

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

6 C whipping cream

12 oz (2 C) grated semisweet chocolate

2 t peppermint extract (or less - it was pretty strong)

1 1/2 green food coloring

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream, peppermint extract, and green food coloring.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Freeze in ice cream freezer.

While ice cream is freezing, melt the chocolate and spread it thinly on the back of a cookie sheet. Put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, then use a metal spatula to scrape off the chocolate, which will break in thin, rough chunks.

When ice cream is frozen, after removing dasher, immediately stir in chocolate chips.

Honey Peach Ice Cream

I've been dreaming about it - FANTASIZING about it - for months. I reminisced about Texas peaches, and how Hali and I bought some from a roadside stand. It was heaven on earth. If I could live my life in Texas, eating peaches and making ice cream, it would be a thoroughly fulfilling life. Well....at least if Kevin was there, eating everything with me.

The peaches weren't from Texas, but the ice cream was still delicious. Ahhhh.....who says the way to a woman's heart isn't through her stomach?

Honey Peach Ice Cream

4 large ripe peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 C honey

1 C whole milk

1 C cream

3 large egg yolks

1/2 C sugar

2 t vanilla

Put 2 peaches in a small saucepan with the honey. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are soft but not mushy (10 minutes.) Blend with a hand blender then set the puree aside while you make the custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until well blended and slightly thickened. While whisking, stir 1/3 of the hot milk which will temper the eggs so they don't curdle. Continue whisking and pour in the rest of the milk mixture.

Put the milk/cream/egg mixture into a pan over medium heat until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. It should reach 170 degrees, but not go over 180 degrees.

Remove from pan and pour into a 2 quart glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and peach puree. Refrigerate until chilled then churn into ice cream according to your ice cream freezer's directions.

Finely dice the remaining 2 peaches. Just before the ice cream is thickened, add the peaches and churn to blend. Remove from the ice cream freezer and pack into a bowl. Freeze for 2 hours until it is firm enough to scoop.