Peppermint Stick Ice Cream has been a highlight at our house for as long as I can remember. Funny, Peppermint Stick Ice Cream is so pink and we’ve got all these boys. But truth is, they all love it because it’s so delicious! When they were little, I’d make it for birthday parties. Now we have it at Christmas and any other time we can think up a good excuse. It’s interesting, there’s no peppermint extract in this recipe. The delicate pink hue and great peppermint flavor come from melting peppermints (or candy canes) in the half and half. The egg yolks in the recipe give great texture and keep the Peppermint Stick Ice Cream extra creamy.

Found this Peppermint Stick Ice Cream recipe years ago in this sweet little book by Lou Seibert Pappas.

You’ll want to plan ahead when making Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, as there are several steps. Easiest to make the ice-cream mixture at night, refrigerate overnight, and process in the ice cream maker the next morning. For hard scoopable Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, freeze 6-8 hours in the freezer after processing in the ice cream maker. Give yourself a full twenty-four hours from start to finish, even though most of that time the mixture is cooling in the refrigerator or freezing in the freezer.

First, melt the peppermints in the half and half. Then mix the beaten egg yolks into the half-and-half mixture and cook over low heat ’til it coats the back of a spoon. (The mixture will be thicker.)

Cool it quickly by placing the pan in an ice water bath. (Yup, give your ice cream mixture an icy bath! It’ll thank you later.)

 Refrigerate the mixture until cold, 4-6 hours.

Process in a 2-quart ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, adding in the crushed peppermint candies at the very end.

Serve soft, or freeze in freezer ’til hard and “scoopable”, 6-8 hours.

Garnish with crushed peppermint candies or fudge sauce. (Or both!) For an extra special treat, add a piece of festive peppermint bark.

Click here for Peppermint Bark Recipe

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Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream: the happy ice cream flavor that says little kid birthday parties, Christmas and other special occasions.

Course Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Prep Time 23 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day

Servings 2

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups crushed Starlite peppermint candies or candy canes 14 ounces
• 4 cups half and half
• 6 egg yolks beaten
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a double boiler (or over low heat), combine 2 1/2 cups of the crushed peppermint candy with the half-and-half.
• Heat over barely simmering water (or low heat) until scalded.
• Set aside and let steep for 15 minutes or 'til the candy is melted, stirring often.
• Whisk some of the hot half-and half mixture in with the beaten egg yolks.
• Return this egg yolk half-and-half mixture to the pan.
• Cook over simmering water (or low heat) stirring constantly, 5-10 minutes until the custard coats the spoon.
• (The mixture will be thicker now.)
• Immediately place the pan into a pan of ice cold water and stir the mixture, cooling to room temperature.
• Stir in the heavy whipping cream and vanilla.
• Cover and refrigerate 'til thoroughly chilled, 4-6 hours.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
• When almost completely frozen, mix in the remaining crushed peppermint candy.
• Serve soft, or freeze 6-8 hours until hard and scoopable.

Notes

My suggestion: give yourself plenty of time if you want hard ice-cream you can scoop. Twenty-four hours is optimum. You want the ice cream mixture very cold when you process it in the ice cream maker. If you want the hard, scoopable ice cream, freeze in the freezer an additional 6-8 hours after processing in the ice cream maker. I cook the ice cream mixture at night, refrigerate overnight, process in the ice cream maker the following morning and freeze all day to serve at night. It works best to give yourself twenty-four hours for the process. (It's so worth it!)

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