Mint Chocolate Bomb Ice Cream Recipe

Infuse milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream with 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves and a pinch of fine sea salt. Heat over medium until just below simmer (steam and small bubbles around edges), about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes to extract mint flavor.

Prepare custard

Strain the infused milk and cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan or bowl, pressing on the mint to extract liquid. Discard mint leaves. Return the infused liquid to the saucepan and warm gently over medium-low. In a bowl, whisk 1 cup white sugar with 4 large egg yolks until slightly thickened and pale. Slowly temper the warmed milk into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly to avoid curdling.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard coats the back of the spatula and reaches about 170–175°F (77–80°C), about 5–8 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat.

Finish base

Whisk in 3 tbs granulated sugar (if using separately), 1 tsp peppermint extract, and 2 drops green food coloring if desired. Stir in any remaining 1 cup heavy cream (if not already used) and taste; adjust mint or salt. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator — at least 3 hours or overnight — until cold.

Churn

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer directions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (about 20–30 minutes). Transfer churned ice cream to a bowl and place in the freezer briefly (10–15 minutes) so it’s firm enough to shape but still scoopable.

Make the sauce while the custard chills or during churning. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup heavy cream until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over 6 oz finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tsp light corn syrup, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until glossy. Allow the sauce to cool to just-warm and slightly thicken so it will remain liquid when piped but not too runny when frozen.

Transfer the warm but pourable chocolate sauce to a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Chill briefly if it becomes too thin; rewarm gently over a hot water bath if it firms up too much before assembly.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set out silicone hemisphere molds. Lightly brush or spray the molds if they stick (silicone usually doesn’t need it).

Spoon or pipe a couple tablespoons of churned mint ice cream into each hemisphere, filling about halfway. Smooth the surface so there’s room for the liquid center. Transfer the tray to the freezer for 10–15 minutes to firm the first layer.

Remove tray and pipe 1–1.5 teaspoons of the cooled chocolate sauce into the center of each partially frozen hemisphere, leaving at least 1/4 inch space at the top for sealing. Return to freezer for another 10 minutes so the sauce sets partially (it should form a slightly firmer pocket but still be liquid).

Top each hemisphere with more mint ice cream, filling up to the rim and smoothing. Freeze the filled hemispheres until solid, at least 2 hours or overnight.

If using two-part molds, you can press two hemispheres together briefly and refreeze to seal. For separate hemispheres, proceed to coating after they are fully frozen.

Temper or melt 12 oz chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate with 1 tsp cocoa butter or neutral oil if desired: use a double boiler or microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between intervals until smooth. Keep the coating chocolate warm but not hot (about 88–90°F for tempered dark; if not tempering, keep it fluid).

Place crystallized mint pieces or chopped peppermint candy (1/2 cup) in a shallow bowl. Working quickly with fully frozen ice cream bombs on a parchment-lined tray, dip each bomb into the melted chocolate using two forks to lift and allow excess to drip off, or pour coating over the bomb. Immediately sprinkle or press the mint pieces onto the coating before it firms (they will adhere as the chocolate sets).

If a seam exists where two hemispheres were joined, you can brush a little warm coating chocolate over the seam to seal. Return dipped bombs to the freezer until coating is fully set, about 10–20 minutes.

Optional: drizzle with leftover chocolate sauce or add sprinkles while coating is tacky for decoration.

Store finished mint chocolate bomb ice creams in an airtight container or a single layer on a tray covered with plastic wrap in the freezer. Keep frozen until ready to serve to maintain the liquid center.

To serve, remove bombs from the freezer and let sit 1–2 minutes at room temperature so the coating becomes easy to cut. Place on a plate and crack open with a spoon to reveal the chocolate sauce centre. Serve immediately.