Blue Ridge Smoke

Ice Cream. Is there any better way to finish your meal from the grill or smoker? Try to say that it isn’t; I doubt anyone can actually say it isn’t.

I haven’t bought ice cream in a half-gallon container in years. Yet our family has enjoyed some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had. Yes, I take the making of ice cream very seriously.

Mint Chocolate Chip is a family favorite. Mine is strawberry. The kids get excited over vanilla. The great thing is that all of these flavors start with the same custard base. We make this base by the gallon, and almost always have some in the fridge ready to make our next concoction.

We have a Kitchen Aid mixer with an ice cream attachment. I’ll review this later, but for now, trust me and go out and buy it. Don’t mess with the other types, you need the Kitchen Aid one.

For this base, you will need:

• 2 1/2 c Milk
• 2 3/4 c Sugar
• 1 t. Salt
• 2 1/2 c. Half and Half
• 2 T Vanilla Extract
• 6 c Whipping Cream

Scald milk in a large dutch oven (not a CI version, a classic aluminum is perfect) until bubbles form around the edge.  Remove from heat and stir in the Sugar and Salt until it is dissolved completely. Stir in the half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream. Pour into a gallon pitcher; leaving the remaining in the dutch oven. Into the fridge with it all.

In an hour, pull the “extra” from the fridge and freeze it in your ice cream freezer. This is a good time to add your mint flavoring, but not your fresh fruit. Add and mix-ins (fruit, cookies, candy, etc.) in the last ten minutes of the freeze, or even as you move it out of the freezer into your container.

Move the container of frozen delight into your freezer for 24 hours to “cure”. Then enjoy!

Pat Ice Cream, Recipes fruit, ice cream, mint