Mint and Andes Creme De Menthe Chunk Ice Cream

Last year after our wedding we splurged and bought the ice cream maker attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer. I made ice cream a couple times last summer and then let the freezer bowl sit in the freezer for the winter and spring. Well summer has arrived again, and with it the horrid heat and now constant appetite for ice cream! I am an ice cream fanatic, I mean seriously, there are some days I have to use every ounce of self control I have to not drive into Sonic and get a Reese's Sonic Blast or a McDonald's McFlurry. The other week we decided it was time to break out the Kitchen Aid attachment. My husband was insistent that we try a mint ice cream and add some Andes Creme de Menthe baking bits in it. I found a recipe that I thought would work thanks to the Food Network and Alton Brown. I doctored this recipe a bit, mostly because I wanted a creamier ice cream and also didn't have peppermint oil, just pure mint extract, plus my hubby insisted that mint ice cream had to be green, so green food coloring was added. My modifications are in parenthesis and italics.

Ingredients

• 3 cups half-and-half (I used 2 cups)
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used 2 cups)
• 8 large egg yolks
• 9 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon peppermint oil (I used 4 tsp pure mint extract)
• 3 ounces chocolate-mint candies, coarsely chopped (I used 3 oz Andes Creme de Menthe baking bits)
• 2-3 drops green food coloring

Directions

1. Place the half-and-half and the heavy cream into a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.
2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added.
4. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F.
5. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Add the peppermint oil and stir to combine. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until it reaches 40 degrees F or below.
7. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker; I also added in 2-3 drops green food coloring at this step, add the chopped candies and process according to the manufacturers directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

The verdict? This ice cream was absolutely delicious! We will definitely be having this again, and hopefully sometime in the not too distant future!