Mint Chocolate Chip Recipe

Warm milk and cream

Combine the whole milk and 1 cup of the heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge, about 5–7 minutes. Do not boil.

Whisk yolks and sugar

In a heatproof bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with the granulated sugar and salt until the mixture lightens slightly and becomes smooth, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper the yolks

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk/cream, whisking to combine.

Cook custard

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom, until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon (reaches about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil.

Strain and cool

Remove from heat and immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in the remaining 1 cup heavy cream, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract.

If using green food coloring, add 1–2 drops now and stir until the color is even. If using alcohol, stir it in at this point. Place the bowl in an ice bath (bowl with ice and water) and stir occasionally until the custard cools to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Chop or melt chocolate

If using a block of dark chocolate, finely chop into small irregular shards or chips about 1/4 inch. For a ribbon/chunk texture, you can roughly chop. Optionally melt the chocolate with the 1 tablespoon butter: place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 15-second bursts, stirring between, until smooth. Allow melted chocolate to cool slightly but not set.

Create chips (method A - sprinkle)

If using melted chocolate: drizzle the melted chocolate in thin ribbons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then chill briefly until set, and break into small shards about 1/4–1/2 inch. If using chopped chocolate, skip this step.

Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, usually 20–30 minutes. During the last 3–5 minutes of churning, add the chopped or shard chocolate so it distributes evenly. If you used melted chocolate that set into shards, add those now.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothing the top. Press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface to limit ice crystals. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (longer for a firmer scoop). Let sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes before scooping. Yield: about 1 quart.