Hey, remember my ice cream maker? In case you don’t, I landed one last summer and up until three weeks ago, I had used it exactly three times. I’d made chocolate ice cream, honey-rosemary ice cream, and chocolate frozen yogurt. And then it sat on my shelf for many months untouched. Every time I had the urge to make ice cream, I faced two problems: first, guilt from making such an unhealthy treat. It’s one thing to get a cone at the local ice cream parlor or pick up a pint at the supermarket. However, when you see all the heavy cream and eggs that go into one batch, it can be a bit of a buzzkill.
Second, making ice cream is no spur of the moment endeavor. The batter can take anywhere between ten to forty-five minutes, which in and of itself isn’t a big deal, but the problem is that often this requires heating a mixture on the stovetop… and that means a lengthy cool-down period in an ice bath and then the fridge — usually eight hours or more (if you’re being prudent). As you can see, ice cream ain’t no simple task.
Here’s the thing though: what’s the point of having an ice cream machine if I’m not going to use it? I decided I would throw the machine a bone or two, and my first step was to purchase the much-lauded ice cream cookbook / bible The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. One casual glimpse through its pages, and I could already see why it’s been celebrated by critics, chefs, and home cooks year in and year out. The book is filled with amazing things, including a recipe for chocolate sorbet AND a recipe for homemade peppermint patties. Both appealed to me: the sorbet for its chocolate flavors and healthier ingredients; the peppermint patties because of, well, their pretty photo. Besides, I had never thought one could make peppermint patties at home. The challenge alone was intriguing to me.
And thus began my odyssey to make chocolate peppermint pattie [sic] sorbet. Warning: if you are a chocoholic, the following post may be difficult to read…. Continue reading →
