Chocolate Thin Mint Ice Cream

Serves 8

Recipe from http://stephenandnat.blogspot.com Life Made Simple

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I must confess that I actively sought out a couple of girl scouts in our community just so that I could make this ice cream. It didn’t disappoint.  Wow!  It’s creamy, dark chocolate and the perfect amount of peppermint with crunchy Thin Mint Cookie bits mixed in.  So, pull out the Thin Mint stash you have in your freezer and make this treat for your favorite people.  

2 cups heavy cream, divided

1 cup whole milk

3 Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet chips and didn’t bother chopping them.)

¾ cup sugar

5 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 sleeve (15 cookies) Girl Scout Thin Mints, roughly chopped

In a medium saucepan, warm 1 cup of heavy cream with the cocoa powder, whisking to blend cocoa.  Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and add bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan to remove all chocolate. Set a mesh sieve over the bowl.

Warm the whole milk, sugar and salt in the same saucepan.

In a separate large bowl, whisk yolks lightly. Slowly pour the warm milk, sugar and salt mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan to cook. Constantly stir the mixture over medium heat with a heat resistant spatula, scraping the sides and bottom. The mixture will begin to thicken and coat the spatula. Do not boil. Remove immediately and pour through the mesh sieve into the chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Place the bowl over an ice bath to cool and then place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly (approximately 25-30 minutes).

Pour mixture into ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Churn for 20-25 minutes. Fold in the chopped Thin Mints.  Store mixture in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for 4-6 hours before serving.