Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

We had been looking for a while for a grill to go halvsies on with the other family in our building, and since we finally found one, we've been grilling at least once/week. After a couple of times getting started after the guys got home from work (7:30ish) and not having food to feed the kids until way past their bedtime, we decided that Friday (our Saturday) would be the best day to grill. And, since family tradition is *so* important, I proposed reinstituting my mom's family's tradition of making homemade ice cream when grilling. I mean, family traditions are important, right?

So, the first week, we made the traditional family recipe of vanilla. With Mexican vanilla. Because it is just wrong to make homemade vanilla ice cream with anything besides Mexican vanilla. Really, really wrong.

But I digress.

This week, we decided to break with tradition, I mean, make our own traditions by trying a new flavor. Polls were taken. Votes were cast, and allrecipes was searched. We ended up with Mint Chocolate Chip. Because, since I'm making the mix, my vote trumps. And there were a few other people that wanted it, too. (I think CS, the wife of the downstairs family, was a tad disappointed, so look for a chocolate ice cream recipe next week.)

I found this recipe but, of course, had to make some modifications, not the least of which being to adjust it to the amount required for a *real* ice cream freezer, not one of those mamby pamby countertop versions (do I sound a little bitter, because we have a 110 countertop ice cream maker that we got as a wedding present sitting in our attic in TX? well, I'm not). Plus, there will be none of this "fat free" business. This is ice cream. And that stuff's not good for you, either.

So, without further ado (because there's been enough ado already), here's the recipe we ended up with.

• 3 C half and half
o or 3 C water + 2 C full cream powdered milk
• 2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 2 envelopes powdered whipped topping mix
• 1/4 t peppermint extract
• 4 drops green food coloring (optional)

• 3-4 C whole milk (to “fill line” of freezer)

• 2-4 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
o or 1-2 C mini semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix half and half, condensed milk, whipped topping mix, extract and food coloring on high speed for 3 minutes.
a. Or use stick blender to mix directly in ice cream freezer canister.
2. Pour into canister.
3. Add whole milk to “fill line.”
4. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight).
5. Freeze according to freezer directions.
6. Pour into container and allow to firm up 24 hours in refrigerator freezer.

Caveat: when it says "allow to firm up 24 hours in refrigerator freezer," it means it. The stuff never "set" like ice cream normally would in the ice cream maker itself (could have been one of the ingredients we used being different, since they're local). But it had enough crystals in it to set up fine once we poured it into containers and put it in the freezer overnight. Good things come to those who wait, I guess.

Caveat #2: you will want to eat *way* too much of this stuff. Even if you don't like mint.