I’ve been dying to make Peppermint Patty Ice Cream ever since I bought a bag of peppermint patties from the Christmas clearance section, but just like a lot of my recipes, it got pushed to the back burner in exchange for seasonal and deadline-driven posts. Now I know it is spring but with warmer weather comes ice cream. Actually, that’s a lie because I eat ice cream all year round, but most people don’t want to see a bowl until the sun is shining and birds are chirping. Except this is Pennsylvania where we still had traces of snow left on the first day of spring. I think Mother Nature’s internal clock is messed up, but it was finally in the 70s and 80s this week!

Peppermint and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combinations, especially in my coffee around Christmas. Everyone knows the famous red cup from a famous coffeehouse chain. And although they have peppermint mochas all year round, there is something about traveling during the holiday that makes the drink that much special. Although I didn’t put any coffee into my ice cream, this recipe is still reminiscent of that. I didn’t just want to throw peppermint patties into chocolate ice cream. I wanted to make a mess with a peppermint chocolate swirl.

My family and I were forced to finish off this ice cream during Easter weekend because the freezer got all the way up to 12 degrees! I guess it’s working now. Nobody seems to believe me that anything is wrong, so I’ll have to keep an eye on it. I had the same problem during Ice Cream Week last year when my ice cream sandwiches would not freeze because the temperature kept climbing. Maybe my freezer is allergic to ice cream.

So whether it is April or December, spring or winter, Peppermint Patty Ice Cream makes a mighty fine dessert to cure the winter blues and welcome in spring (and makes a mighty fine mess too).

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream

Yield: 1

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Swirl

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Ice Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Few pinches of salt
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peppermint patties, unwrapped and chopped

Instructions

For the swirl:

In medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking often. Cook 1 more minute then remove from the heat. Whisk in the peppermint extract. Let cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator while you make the ice cream.

For the ice cream:

Create an ice bath by putting ice and water into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, warm up 1/2 cup heavy cream. Whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved and smooth. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream. Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl that will fit inside the ice bath. Place the bowl inside the ice bath and set aside.
In the same saucepan, warm up the milk, sugar, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk up the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture is warm, slowly whisk some of the milk into the yolks then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Bring the pan to a boil, stirring often until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon or spatula. Remove from the heat and the pour the mixture through a strainer into the chocolate mixture. Stir until blended.
Let cool in the ice bath until room temperature then remove from the ice bath and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Assembly

Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker (if freezing by hand, chill in the freezer and whisk every 30-45 minutes to break up the ice crystals until the ice cream is frozen). Just a few minutes before it is completely frozen, stir in the peppermint patties. To layer in the peppermint swirl, spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of the storage container. Spoon half of the ice cream on top, then the remaining sauce, then top with the rest of the ice cream.

Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop
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If you liked my Peppermint Patty Ice Cream, you may also like these recipes:

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Shamrock Shake with Bailey’s Whipped Cream (who says it’s only for March?)
No Cook Egg Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Rice Crispy Treats

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