Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Not Just for Hot Days

I don't know about you, but summer-time snacks are some of my favorites.  I love eating watermelon, and popsicles, and grilling all sorts of meat. I guess that last one isn't really a snack. 


I also enjoy some ice cream. Actually, in the list of Many "Things" That Make My Life Good, ice cream is in the top five.

My favorite flavor, all year round, is Mint Chocolate Chip. I like the kind that is green and has little flakes. Not big chunks.

Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream that I wanted to share because it was easy, required minimal cooking without eggs, and tasted DELICIOUS! 

1 cup milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
6 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Cup chocolate (grated) 
Several Drops Peppermint extract (depends on how minty you like it!)
1 tsp Vanilla
(opt.) Green food coloring 

Place milk and sugar in a sauce pan on low heat and cook until sugar is dissolved. Do NOT boil!

Place milk and sugar in a glass or metal bowl and then place it in a larger bowl with ice.  Cool mixture. Add heavy cream, vanilla and peppermint (and green color, if you like). Stir over ice bath until chilly.

Add to ice cream maker and start machine. Add chocolate as ice cream begins to thicken. (I chopped 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in my food processor)


You can eat it like a soft serve ice cream, right out of the maker. But I like to put it in a container and let it harden just a bit.

MMmmmmm......

I may have already done a Random Poll for June, but I like to live on the wild side, so let's do another!

What is your all time favorite ice cream?  And if you don't eat ice cream, what is you favorite summer time snack? And if you aren't a snacker, then you need to leave a comment anyway, cause I need to pray for you.  ;)


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chunky Monkey!!! Yummy. Hey, I need one of those ice cream makers!

Lindsay said...

My favorite is probably chocolate chip cookie dough YUM! But I like almost all ice cream. Not a fan of fruity ice cream with chunks (or yogurt w/ chunks for that matter) or nuts. Other than that I will give them all a try :-)

I totally need to get an ice cream maker.. then again maybe I shouldnt :-P

mer@lifeat7000feet said...

Strawberry ice cream! Yum.

That ice cream maker looks very cool! And your ice cream looks delicious too!

Anonymous said...

If we're talking store bought then I'm all about the AmeriCone Dream from Ben & Jerry (or the even better 7 layer bar that you can only get in the scoop shops).

But when it comes to homemade I'm a purist. Plain old vanilla totally does it for me. I may have to tryi your homemade mint chip though. Looks YUM-O! (And yes I said that on purpose).

sari said...

Right now I like Dreyer's Takes The Cake. It's got cakey-frostingey flavors and is yummy.

My all time favorite is Baskin Robbin's Peppermint Fudge Ripple.

Around our house, we eat ice cream every day of the year. It's just a must have.

jen said...

vanilla - how bland is that?! In my defense, I don't like just any vanilla but one that is really vanilla-y but not fake; it's a fine balance, you know!

Jackie said...

This looks Yum-O. This is one of my alltime favorite ice cream flavors, but I think I have to go with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Next purchase....ice cream maker!

meh said...

Any flavor but sherbit. Can't abide the stuff, even when it is the only thing in the house and I am having a crave-attack for something sweet. Hmm. Maybe I should start buying it for the kids instead of the really great stuff I have been trying to resist and utterly failing.

Michelle@Life with Three said...

I love Breyer's Rocky Road. So good -- especially the chocolate covered nuts that are swirled throughout.

We don't have an ice cream maker. I should probably consider investing in one, because I think my kids would love it!

Lisa said...

My favorite is Raspberry Royale Chocolate Chip by Eddy's. YUMMMM!
And alont those same lines they have a raspberry cheesecake at Olive Garden that is to die for!

Tanya said...

My all-time favorite is Butter Pecan, but if I'm needing sweet and caffiene, then I gotta have B&J's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. Aaaah ... coffee ice cream with tofee and chocolate ... Oh, I'm salivating just thinking about it!

I'll have to try this recipe. I've got an ice cream machine, but it never turns out quite right. It tastes to custardy. Maybe I'm overcooking the starter?? Whatever it is, I need more practice --- hard to do when my son is allergic to dairy. :)

Lisa said...

I have been BEGGGGING for an ice cream maker forrrrrrever!
You've convinced me to just go and get it. NOW!