Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Mint chocolate chunk ice cream is one of my favorites, especially when made with fresh mint and no artificial colors or flavors. This recipe is so simple and so good—creamy, thick, minty, and not too sweet. Often when I make ice cream, I add a tablespoon of alcohol (vodka or a complementary liquor) because I’ve heard it helps reduce iciness. I'm not sure how much it works; I didn't add any to this recipe and it wasn't any icier than my other recipes. The addition of maple syrup put me off at first (I might be the only Canadian who dislikes it). But I can barely taste it in the finished product. I used 6 ounces dark chocolate because it seemed crazy to leave out those last 2 ounces. I think the basic ice cream recipe here would also lend itself to many other flavorings for easy non-custard ice cream versions.

This mint chocolate chunk recipe was a nice treat to make this weekend when the temperature finally got up to 80 degrees! It was easy to whip up, with very little hands-on time, other than pulling off mint leaves and chopping up my mint chocolate bar (I am a fan of the Endangered Species Dark Chocolate 72% bar). The fresh mint really shines through after infusing the cream mixture and, if you’re patient, I would recommend letting the mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator before straining. The finished product came out of my ice cream maker (which is not the newest of models—it’s a 10-year-old Cuisinart) with a nice, soft- serve-like consistency. It was so nice to strongly taste mint without that artificial note. The maple syrup adds just the right amount of sweetness and 4 ounces chocolate allowed for a good distribution of chunks. I got a yield of slightly more than a pint, so not everything could fit in my ice cream canister. This made for happy eating out of the ice cream machine—not a bad thing! The consistency of the ice cream after it was frozen for 8 hours was very nice--creamy and firmer while still easy to scoop.

This mint chocolate chip ice cream is totally yummy, easy to assemble, and has significant mintiness and no weird extract taint. I love steeping mint in the cream and milk mixture—I knew this would be delightful because I’ve done something similar for minted crème brûlée. Even though this isn’t a custard-based ice cream, it delivers a very satisfying result. The maple syrup is a good match and not overpowering in any way. Unfortunately Green & Black’s mint chocolate bar wasn’t readily available but another good quality chocolatier (Theo’s from Seattle) came to the rescue with a blend of peppermint and spearmint with 70% cocoa. The flavor was terrific, both immediately as well as after patiently waiting over an hour and then for research purposes, we tested it as an affogato and pronounced it very, very good. I found it was easy to break the chocolate into pretty uniform pieces by placing it in a heavy resealable bag and sealing it, then whacking it with a Machacadora (a wooden bean smasher from Mexico) although a rolling pin would do the job as well. Very therapeutic and better than chopping it with a knife and chocolate flying everywhere off the board. I would start this project the night before to ensure you have a thoroughly chilled base, especially since it is not a custard and has no other stabilizers.

This is a simple and subtly sweet mint chocolate chunk ice cream. The fresh mint and the dark chocolate combine to make nice light ice cream. The maple syrup added just the right amount of sweetness. This is definitely a more adult flavor as both my kids turned their noses at the bitterness of the dark chocolate (I used Green & Black's dark chocolate 70%) and the intense cool of the mint. I let the cream mixture steep on the counter for an hour and then chilled it in the fridge for 2 1/2 hours. It took 30 minutes in the ice cream maker to thicken. The consistency straight out of the ice cream maker was nice and thick and creamy. I started the ice cream in the late afternoon and froze it overnight. I did enjoy the flavor but it was a bit grainy with ice crystals when I scooped it the following evening. I would make this again but would probably add egg yolks to make a thicker and creamier texture.

I was most excited to try this recipe as my love for mint chocolate chunk ice cream is quite large. The end result was dreamy, refreshing, and rich. I'd never actually made my own version of mint chocolate ice cream until now, so I was rather intrigued to see how much the mint it would take to transfer the flavor to the cream. The mint was a beautiful herbal blend, the ice cream base is oh so creamy, and the dark chocolate enhances the mint and cream to a new level I didn't know existed in ice cream. (I used a 60% dark chocolate.) This ice cream went over quite well with the family. Straight out of the ice cream maker the ice cream was rather soupy but the ice crystals that were developing were very small and created the creamiest ice cream. I may have had a small bowl straight from the ice cream maker. Once the ice cream froze for an hour, the ice cream hardened up lovely and again the ice crystals were small and maintained a creamy ice cream. I did get about a pint of ice cream and made about 3 healthy servings (myself, sister, and brother in law...husband is boring and likes only vanilla, sigh).

This mint chocolate chunk ice cream has a strong, fresh mint flavor. The consistency is smooth, although the mixture isn't custard-based. As any ice cream, you can make it even if you don’t have an ice cream maker. Just prepare your ice cream mixture, then chill it in the freezer. Check it after 40 minutes, and as it starts to freeze on the edges stir it vigorously with a spatula. Really beat it up and break up any frozen pieces. Return to freezer. Continue to check the mixture every 30 minutes, stirring vigorously. It will be ready after 2 to 3 hours. I used Lindt Excellence Mint Intense Dark Chocolate, and this minty chocolate is a perfect complement for the ice cream. This is an easy and quick way to make a fresh flavored iced cream with a crunchy touch of chocolate.