Mint Chocolate Ice Cream – Creamy After Eight Ice Cream

I love this mint chocolate ice cream recipe because it’s so creamy and refreshing in summer. I usually make a base, which I cool in the fridge before putting it in the ice cream machine. This is how Italian Gelato is made. You can also put it directly in containers and freeze it. This ice cream recipe also works without an ice cream machine.

Ingredients for ~800ml:
2 egg yolks (M size for Europe, L for America)
600ml cream (30% fat)
200ml milk (or another 200ml cream for a creamier texture)
100g caster sugar
30-35g fresh mint or peppermint leaves (washed, dried, and removed from stems)
100g of chocolate with min. 70% cocoa
1 pinch of salt

1. Remove the mint leaves from the stems, wash them thoroughly, and dry them with a kitchen towel. You should have about 30-35g of fresh leaves.
   
2. Blend the mint leaves, cream, and milk.
   
3. Put the mixture in a pot with a thick bottom and bring it to a boil. Simmer at a very low heat for about 7 minutes to achieve the desired mint flavor.
   
4. Turn off the heat and sieve the contents. Leave it aside to cool down a little bit.
   
5. In the same pot, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and a pinch of salt until you get a light, creamy consistency.
   
6. Add the mint mixture and incorporate everything. The mint mixture shouldn’t be too hot, so the eggs don’t get cooked.
   
7. Mix the ice cream base on very low heat. You can also use a water bath. Cook it for a few minutes until the mixture thickens (you can see this on the back of a spoon or spatula). I cook it until it reaches a temperature of 85°C.
8. Let the ice cream mixture cool down before putting it in an ice cream machine or directly in containers in the freezer.
   
9. Chop the chocolate and add the pieces to the ice cream at the end, when the ice cream has been cooled. If you put it directly in containers in the fridge, you’ll have to occasionally stir it since the chocolate pieces will gather at the bottom.
   
10. In Germany, heavy cream is rarely available, so I usually use whipping cream (with 30% fat) and milk. If you want a creamier texture, you can replace the milk in the recipe with cream, or use 500g heavy cream with 300ml milk.