Ice Cream Sunday!

Aaron's favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. I wasn't a big fan before I made this recipe, but as is often the case I liked it more when I made it myself (this has also happened with pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, and meat loaf, to name a few). I went through several recipes before choosing my favorite recipes and techniques from each to develop my own recipe. It's so easy to put this together that it's the recipe I make most often. Cool and minty, it's perfect for a hot summer day.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 c. heavy cream

1 c. whole milk

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. peppermint extract

4 drops green food coloring (optional, but Aaron insists)

1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine cream, milk and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved taking care not to let the milk scorch. Cool this mixture in the refrigerator until about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Add the mint and food coloring to the milk-sugar mixture and freeze the mixture using an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the chocolate chips during the last five minutes of freezing. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours before serving.

Ice Cream Sunday

Early last year I started a book club at work, which has been very successful and fun. In addition to reading and discussing a book each month, we meet over a potluck lunch. I typically bring dessert, mostly because everyone requests that I be in charge of that course (no one else in my department really bakes much). One month we were reading something where the main character was of Italian descent, and I decided that, because it was summer and I didn't feel like turning on my oven, I would make some sort of ice cream.

I'm pretty sure that this was during June, because I had a refrigerator full of Michigan strawberries and needed something to do with them. In my opinion, Michigan strawberries are so much better than the big California strawberries that are available in stores right now. They have so much more flavor, and are a much deeper red throughout. So, given that I wanted to make ice cream and I had a bunch of strawberries, I made this strawberry gelato. It was so well received that there was some discussion of finding room in some budget to pay me to make gelato once a week. I hope you all enjoy it just as much!

Strawberry Gelato

Adapted from 125 Best Ice Cream Recipes 

4 egg yolks

1 c. granulated sugar

2 c. whole milk

2 c. pureed strawberries (about 3 c. whole strawberries) (best if made at the height of the strawberry season)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.

Strain pureed strawberries to remove seeds. Push on the solids to get as much of the puree/juice as possible.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Gradually whisk into the egg mixture. Return entire mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Be careful (really, really careful or else you have to start over - I know this from experience) not to let it boil. Strain into a large, clean bowl. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the strawberry puree and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold or overnight. Stir the milk mixture and transfer into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.

Ice Cream Sundays

My favorite kitchen gadget, by far, is my stand mixer. I use it all the time to mix up cookies, cakes, and doughs, but I can do much more with it than that. I also have pasta making, meat grinding, and (my favorite) ice cream making attachments. Before Gabbie arrived on the scene I regularly made ice cream, and I miss it.

To get back in the swing of things I'm going to start Ice Cream Sundays. Every Sunday I'll share one of my favorite ice cream recipes, and even try a few new ones along the way. Join me this Sunday for Strawberry Gelato - the very best ice cream I've made to date. And, you can join me for Ice Cream Sundays on your site as well if you'd like to play along! I'll have a button you can grab when I post the first Ice Cream Sunday post this week.

I really, really can't wait!

(P.S. Since Monday was a holiday, and my daughter's first birthday, Monday Meal Planning took a vacation this week. Never fear, it will return next week with some excellent new meal ideas and recipes!)