Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month?  Not that I really need an excuse to eat more ice cream when the temperatures are climbing near 90 every day, but ok if you insist!  There’s a food holiday just about every day of the year, and to be honest, I have no idea how those holidays are designated, or by whom.  When I Googled this one though, I discovered that Ronald Reagan actually declared July National Ice Cream Month back in 1984.  Fun fact of the day :)  His proclamation said that we should celebrate with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”  Surely, making homemade ice cream would fall within that category, right?

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, mint chocolate chip is without a doubt my very favorite ice cream flavor. In fact, 9.5 times out of 10 if we’re out at a local shop, I’m ordering mint chocolate chip. It’s one of the few areas of my life where I crave no variety at all – just give me what I love!  I’ve been on the hunt for a good homemade mint ice cream for a while, and finally, I’ve found it – this ice cream was fantastic! It had a great creamy texture; I scooped it straight from the freezer without issue, but it wasn’t so soft it melted into a giant puddle within a few minutes. The flavor was minty without crossing the line to medicinal, very refreshing. I skipped the food coloring, but if you prefer your mint ice cream to be green, go ahead and add a few drops to the custard before you churn it.   I don’t love Oreos plain, but they’re one of my favorite ice cream mix-ins so I used them instead of chocolate chips here. There’s nothing worse than getting store-bought ice cream, or even ice cream at a local shop and finding barely any mix-ins, which is yet another reason homemade ice cream is so awesome – add as many Oreos as you want!

This is among about 4 other ice cream flavors I’ve already churned in July – can’t wait to share the rest with you later this month!

Mint Oreo Ice Cream
adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2/3-1 cup chopped Oreos 

Add 1 cup of the heavy cream to a large heatproof bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the top of the bowl.

Warm the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and the whole milk in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt together. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl with the yolks, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon (it will register between 170 and 175 F on an instant read thermometer).

Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl with the heavy cream. Stir to incorporate, then mix in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly in your refrigerator (I always have the best results when I chill overnight). Add the chopped Oreos to a bowl, cover and refrigerate while the custard chills.

Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream reaches soft serve consistency, add the chopped Oreos and continue churning until incorporated, another minute or two. Store in an airtight container in your freezer.