mint chip ice cream bon bons.

so remember that one time that i posted a bunch of ice cream recipes for ice cream week? like, two weeks ago?

and remember how i said i wasn’t going to post another ice cream recipe for a while?

well, apparently “a while” to me is about two weeks. i just can’t stay away from ice cream that long! it’s just my nature. can’t help it.

random aside: the phrase “a while” makes me think of Meg from Family Guy’s totally odd pronunciation of said phrase. it’s silly.

please be sure to check out my guest post on Sarah Hearts today, lovelies!

i literally have no desire to cook anything at the moment, due to the extreme temperatures outside. ice cream is just so…frozen. cold. refreshing. perfect.

since we’re in the process of melting here in Florida, what could be better than ice cream? nothing, obviously!

but alas, i was totally bored of plain ol’ ice cream posts. who wants to see just another scoop in a bowl? not me.

i decided to make something a bit more adorable: ice cream bon bons! too cute, right?

a few months back, i tried a recipe for ice cream bon bons from Food & Wine magazine, and they kinda sorta didn’t work out too well. the end result was essentially melted ice cream and chocolate all over my kitchen counter. ants everywhere rejoiced at the extreme amount of sugary goodness that flooded the countertops in our kitchen. i’m pretty popular in the ant community, apparently.

needless to say, it was a bit of a recipe fail. whatever, it totally happens, and i was determined to make them again, only this time, 100% more successful.

yup, totally nailed it this time around. not only were my ice cream bon bons adorable as hell, they set up beautifully and were delicious as all get out. recipe win!

i promise you, my technique for assembling these bon bons is foolproof. the key to success is taking your time. while making these bon bons is a two day ordeal, it’s almost zero work on both days, and the payoff is absolutely worth it!

essentially, you scoop some ice cream onto a parchment-lined tray, and let that chill in the fridge overnight. the next day, melt some chocolate, coat the frozen ice cream balls with said chocolate, freeze for a few minutes and voila! ice cream bon bons: so simple, the kids could make these for you!

let’s talk about the mint chip ice cream i made for a minute: it’s so damn good. i’ve attempted mint chip before and the results kind of sucked. this ice cream, however is quite amazing. it’s deeply flavorful, and reminds me of childhood visits to the ice cream parlor around the corner from our house for freshly-baked waffle cones stacked high with pale green ice cream flecked with chocolate bits throughout.

don’t want to make your own ice cream? that’s cool, no worries. just buy your favorite brand and use that for the bon bons! you could even top them with sprinkles, crushed peanuts, toasted coconut, or a maraschino cherry before the chocolate hardens and sets up. how totally adorable would that be?

it’s official: i love ice cream bon bons, and so will you! pinkie swear.

mint chip ice cream bon bons.

Yield: 25 ice cream bon bons

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time

Ingredients:

for the mint chip ice cream

2 cups half & half (you can use milk if you'd like!)
2 cups fresh mint, washed, leaves removed from the stems
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure mint extract
1 teaspoon creme de menthe (optional)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

for the chocolate coating

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (you can substitute coconut oil if you want!)

Directions:

for the mint chip ice cream

combine the half & half, fresh mint and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan.

place saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

when the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming, remove from heat.

you can allow this to infuse for an hour, or transfer the mixture to an airtight container and infuse in the fridge overnight. i find that allowing the mixture to sit overnight in the fridge makes the ice cream extra-minty!

after the mixture has infused, pour into a saucepan and place over medium heat.

in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.

when the half & half mixture is steaming, slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time.

once all of the half & half is incorporated into the egg yolks, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan. place over medium heat.

stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, allow the custard to heat up and thicken. when the custard is at 165 degrees F, and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and a line remains when you swipe your finger across the back, the custard is done.

pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl.

whisk in the heavy cream, mint extract, and creme de menthe.

transfer the custard to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

place an airtight container in the freezer.

the next day, churn the custard according to your ice cream maker's instructions, or about 20-25 minutes until thick and airy.

about 5 minutes before the ice cream is done churning, place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in 20-second increments, stirring in between heatings until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

remove the airtight container from the freezer, and using a spoon or silicone spatula, drizzle the melted chocolate into the container quickly, flicking your wrist back and forth to make small chocolate lines in the bottom and on the sides of the container.

when the ice cream is done churning, spoon a layer of ice cream into the airtight container. drizzle more melted chocolate on top of the layer.

repeat this process until all of the ice cream is in the container. using a spoon or spatula, stir the ice cream in the container to break up the hardened chocolate lines into small bits.

cover and freeze for at least an hour before scooping.

assembling the bon bons

line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

using an ice cream scoop (i used my smallest one, but you can use whatever you have!), scoop ice cream out of the container and place onto the parchmented baking sheet, leaving room in between each scoop. work quickly!

once all of the ice cream is scooped onto the baking sheet, place a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of each scoop, about halfway through the scoop.

place the pan in the freezer for at least an hour, overnight if possible.

combine the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a small metal bowl, and set this atop a saucepan with about an inch or so of water in the bottom.

place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and stir the chocolate mixture frequently until melted and smooth. remove from the heat.

remove the frozen ice cream scoops from the freezer. holding the scoops by the wooden skewer and over the bowl of melted chocolate, spoon melted chocolate over the top and sides of the ice cream scoop, coating completely. dip the bottom of each scoop into the chocolate quickly, then place back on the parchmented baking sheet.

repeat until all scoops are coated in chocolate. remove the skewers from the top of each bon bon, and freeze for 30 minutes before enjoying.

once the bon bons are frozen, they can be transferred to a zip-top plastic bag and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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