Dec 12, 2013 It’s something about the way the chocolate thickly coats your tongue as it melts and the icy peppermint just breezes right through. This cooling contrast of mint and creamy chocolate is amplified in a frozen dessert – which is why, personally, any time chocolate and mint come together on a cone, bliss ensues. In fact, Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge Crackle ice cream was my ultimate pregnancy craving… … one that I wholeheartedly indulged. But y’all already know how I feel about mono- and di-glycerides and his friends carageenan and hydrogenated modified cottonseed oil hanging out in my nummynums, right? Yuck. Unfortunately things like this exist in most commercial frozen desserts (the one linked above included). Questionable ingredient lists notwithstanding, I prefer to make my ice cream at home – because 1. it’s delicious, and 2. IT’S JUST SO DELICIOUS!!! The base of this ice cream is luxe vanilla. I say luxe, because it is really, really, really gorgeous all on its own. But now we have added thick ribbons of gooey peppermint fudge and tiny bits of candy cane throughout, and my head might explode. Don’t be scared of custards. They curdle. It’s no big deal. You just strain them through a fine-meshed strainer and move on with your delicious endeavours. Take it out of the freezer when you sit down to dinner and it will be just the right consistency by the time you’re done (unless you’re a pokey bunch). About 20 minutes will get it perfectly scoopable and just the right amount of melty. Serve with additional crushed candy canes, if desired. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, buy yourself a Christmas present – I love mine more than any other kitchen gadget I own.
Ingredients
For ice cream custard base:
2 cups whipping cream 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup whole milk 4 egg yolks 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
For fudge swirl:
1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp corn syrup 3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped finely 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (taste at 1/2 tsp and add more if desired)
To sprinkle in:
3 candy canes, crushed (plus more for serving, if desired)
Preparation
For ice cream base: For fudge swirl: To assemble:
