Mint Chocolate Ice cream!

Mint Chocolate Ice cream!

Inspired by:

Sandy Parrott Ashbrook on Aprovechar’s Fresh Mint Ice cream Recipe and Jamie Oliver’s Pear Sorbet Recipe

Why?

Ice cream is my favourite food! I love Gelato/i because it tastes great and the fruit flavours (in real gelato- like here in Rome) are dairy free! It’s a blessing especially when I can’t indulge in the pizza and pasta!

My favourite flavor is Mint Choc Chip, which is not dairy free. I had a craving (perhaps because my brain tells me it should be summer even though it’s super cold here) and so I decided to experiment!

Time Taken:

10 mins to create the mixture. Several hours to freeze. I froze mine overnight. Using an ice cream maker the times will vary.

Dirty Dishes:

Heat proof dish (2L), medium saucepan, spoon.

I used:

250g icing sugar

1 can of coconut milk (400ml)

Peppermint essence (to taste)

Peppermint leaves (to taste- dried 2Tbs)

50g dairy free chocolate broken into chunks.

What I did:

Combine icing sugar and coconut milk in saucepan on medium heat. 
With a spoon stir until sugar is melted. 
If  using fresh mint leaves add them now and keep the mixture on low heat for several minutes to allow the flavor to develop. 

If using peppermint essence, add desired amount now and the dried peppermint leaves and stir in thoroughly.
After the peppermint flavour has been mixed through, taste the mixture (it will be hot!) to check the flavor, and add more essence or seep for longer if desired. 

Then bring to the boil, and boil for one minute. Remove from heat (turn off the element) and let mixture cool. 

When the mixture is still warm, but no longer boiling hot, add the chocolate chunks and give a brief stir. Some of the chips should melt. Pour the mixture into the heat proof dish until the mixture is completely cool. Then use an ice cream maker according to it’s instructions to complete the freeze process or to freeze it without an ice cream maker, put the ice cream mixture in the freezer. 
Mix every hour or two (if possible) for the first few hours to spread the chips around and to avoid any ice deposits.

After eating Mint Chocolate Ice cream:

I am wondering why I took so long to make it in the first place! The others who ate it enjoyed it too! Mmmmm mint.

Comments and what I would do different:

The ice cream doesn’t stay frozen for as long as traditional store bought ice cream. Once put into a bowl it gets quite melty around the edges. I’m not sure if there’s something I can do to combat this in my recipe (more sugar/longer boiling etc) or if that is a symptom of dairy free/preservative free ice cream or I need an ice cream maker. If anyone knows let me know! Until then I'm happy!