Peppermint brownie ice cream, smooth and creamy mint ice cream studded with gooey brownie pieces. This ice cream is a mint chocolate dream. I absolutely love ice cream; it doesn’t matter what time of the year. I love a nice bowl of the creamy stuff anytime I can get some. Mint chip is my favorite flavor that I usually choose wherever I am. From Disneyland to a gelato place in Lisbon, it is my go-to. In fact, I can definitely blame a few inches on my waistline on the stuff. I also love brownies which also have contributed to many a pound over the years. The combination of the two makes this ice cream a fantastic treat.
I was in California recently at Disneyland and stopped by one of the best and most innovative ice cream shops in the country called Salt and Straw. This shop is known for the unusual flavor and textures they add to their ice creams. Everything from a Thanksgiving ice cream with stuffing in it to floral ice creams like honey lavender are featured at different times of the year. The line is always out the door for this shop, and it is always a treat to experience what they are offering for that season. I tasted a great rose-flavored ice cream. Salt and Straw lets you taste as many flavors as you want, and you should! But I wanted something more chocolaty, possibly mint chocolate; however, they didn’t have any mint chip. But they did have a chocolate gooey brownie ice cream that I eagerly devoured in the hot Southern California sunshine.
When I got back, I decided to play around and come up with my own version of making peppermint brownie ice cream instead of chocolate to satisfy my mint chocolate cravings. I used the gooey brownie recipe from Salt and Straw’s fantastic cookbook as my starter, because this recipe is designed to keep soft even when frozen. But I played around with it a bit to use chopped bittersweet chocolate and dark cocoa, adding even more depth of flavor. This brownie recipe makes more than you will need for one batch of ice cream, but it keeps in the freezer for months and can be ready whenever you want to make a batch of ice cream. The brownie pieces are not as sweet as regular brownies. They use marshmallow crème to keep them incredibly soft, perfect for mixing into your favorite ice cream.
The base for this ice cream calls for glucose. This helps the finished ice cream keep a fantastic texture. The added little bit of xanthan gum also keeps no large ice crystals forming. It results in a smooth, creamy ice cream that is incredible. I used my Cuisinart ice cream maker, which has its own compressor. Making ice cream in it has become a dream. It makes perfect ice cream without freezing the bowl ahead of time. It is a fantastic addition to any kitchen if you have room for it. However, any ice cream maker works great for this recipe. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.) The xanthan gum and the glucose can be found in gourmet stores or Amazon. Both last for years and are not expensive. Once you have them, you can whip up a batch of ice cream easily anytime.
Ok, that is all for this week. Making ice cream is easy and fun and trying this peppermint brownie ice cream is a fabulous treat. I hope you are all staying healthy and safe out there. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through this crazy world we live in together. Until next time!
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup glucose syrup or substitute corn syrup
- 5 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum optional but better texture
- 1 ½ cups gooey brownies chopped into 1/2 inch or smaller pieces or use your own brownies. (see recipe below)
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
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If you have a machine that requires a frozen bowl, make sure the bowl is in the freezer 24 hours before making the ice cream.
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For an ice bath fill a large bowl with ice and water about 2/3 of the way full and put it into the refrigerator.
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In a large heat-proof measuring cup or small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a whisk to break them up.
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Have a bowl small enough to fit into the ice bath and a fine mesh strainer handy.
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Bring the cream, milk, glucose, and sugar to a full boil in a medium saucepan. Take off the heat.
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Quickly beat ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and then continuously whisking, beat the tempered egg yolk mixture into the hot milk.
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Return the mixture to the stove and cook, constantly stirring over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn across the back of the spoon, and reaches 180°. This should only take a few minutes, so don’t stray from the stove.
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Immediately strain the mixture into the waiting bowl. Next, take the ice bath out of the fridge and place the bowl with the hot mixture into the ice bath. This stops the mixture from cooking.
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Stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
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With a whisk or in a blender, thoroughly combine the cooled base with peppermint extract, the vanilla, and the Xanthan gum, if desired.
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Let the mixture chill for several hours or, even better, overnight.
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Meanwhile, make the gooey brownies or have brownies ready and chopped into less than ½ inch pieces.
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Place a 2-quart container for the finished ice cream and the chopped brownies into the freezer to get very cold.
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When you are ready to make the ice cream.
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Add the ice cream base to the ice cream maker and process it according to the instructions.
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When the ice cream base has churned into a soft but firm ice cream, usually about 45 minutes depending on your machine, quickly scoop the ice cream into the container from the freezer adding brownie pieces halfway through. Stir in the brownie bits briefly to distribute. This all needs to be done quickly to not melt the ice cream.
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Immediately cover the soft ice cream with a sheet of plastic wrap, pressing down to seal it. Then quickly place it into the freezer to cure for 3 hours to have scoopable ice cream.
You can skip the curing process if you want soft ice cream.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dark or regular cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces for easier melting
- ¾ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips 5 oz
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cream
- 1 cup marshmallow crème
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Preheat the oven to 350°
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Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray that with cooking spray. This is for easy removal.
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Stir together the flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
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In a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
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Stir in the chopped chocolate and heat briefly in 15 second intervals or gently on the stove until the chocolate has just melted. Be grateful not to overheat the mixture, as it will scorch.
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In a stand mixer or a big bowl with a whisk, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until very light.
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Add the butter-chocolate mixture and beat to combine.
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Stir in the flour mixture, beating until just combined.
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Beat in the heavy cream.
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Using a spatula or large spoon, fold in the marshmallow crème, mixing just enough for there to be no large streaks. It is ok to have some streaking of the marshmallow crème left.
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Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
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Bake for 35-45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. However, it should still be gooey.
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Let cool completely.
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Chop the cooled brownie into ½ inch pieces and place it into a freezer bag. The brownies will still be very gooey and stick together. break them up as much as possible.
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Freeze until you are in need of brownie bites. The brownies can be further broken up when they are frozen, though they will still be gooey.
