Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

Servings: 1 quart

You can really taste the difference that fresh mint makes in this classic ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups fresh spearmint leaves, loosely packed
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 8 oz. bitter or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped.

Preparation:

1. Place milk, cream and mint in a medium sized pot and heat until just before it starts to come to a boil.
2. Remove pot from heat and allow mint to steep for 30 minutes.
3. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Re-heat the milk mixture until simmering, but do not allow it to boil, and then remove from heat again.
5. Ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, then slowly stir the egg mixture back into the pot with the hot milk, whisking constantly.
6. Place over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes (do not let mixture get too hot or eggs will curdle).
7. Strain through fine-meshed sieve into large bowl.
8. Place bowl into an ice bath to cool down quickly.
9. When mixture is completely cold, pour into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions, adding the chopped chocolate during last few minutes of churning.