Ingredients

3 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 egg yolks

2-3 Tbs vanilla

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups half-and-half

8 oz broken/crushed hard peppermint (sticks or rounds)

(optional) 4 oz crushed soft peppermint

for garnish, crush or reserve some medium size bits of hard peppermint

Preparation

  1. Pour milk into medium saucepan. Heat over low heat about 8-10 mins stirring frequently, until scalded (small bubbles around edge, but DO NOT BOIL or milk will curdle).
  2. Remove from heat and stir in salt and sugar until dissolved.
  3. Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl.
  4. Slowly pour 1/2 cup hot milk mix over eggs while whisking constantly. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
  5. Pour egg mixture back into the rest of the hot milk, whisking constantly until well mixed.
  6. Cook over double boiler, stirring frequently, until custard coats the back of a spoon (about 5-10 mins). Remove from heat. (Optional - For extra peppermint taste, stir in 4 oz crushed soft peppermint to hot custard.)
  7. Chill a couple hours or overnight for best volume.
  8. Mix together chilled custard and vanilla, cream, half-and-half and 1/2 crushed peppermint in large pan.
  9. Pour into ice cream churn and churn until partially thickened (about 10-15 mins depending on ice & salt mix).
  10. Open churn and pour in remaining crushed peppermint. Close and continue churning until done.
  11. Optional - when serving, garnish with reserved peppermint bits.