Thin Mint Ice Cream

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for one very special time of year. And depending on where you live will determine when you get to revel in this delicious recipe. Now I’m not talking about the first local apples, picked ripe off the tree. I’m not talking about thanksgiving, with all of the tasty foods and family moments. I’m not even talking about when the first bulbs begin to pop up from under the snow covered ground, signifying the beginning of spring. I am talking about Girl Scout Cookie time.

When I first see those sash-clad girls in the mall, or in front of the grocery store, or haunting the entrance of Wal-mart, I get so excited! Once upon a time, I was a girl scout. I was one of those over-achieving, OCD girl scouts. I had a sash full of badges. At camp I had a hat full of pins. During cookie season, I sold cookies like a Keebler Elf.

These days, I don’t sell Girl Scout cookies. I consider having lots of little girls, just so I can have easy access to cookies. If you live near me, and your little girl sells cookies, give me a call.  I’m a cookie gold mine. Last year I wound up with eleven boxes of cookies. Eleven. And remember this, I lived by myself. I like to stock up, because who knows when this time of year will roll around again! I need my cookies!!!

Now I know that depending on where you live, makes a difference with the names of the cookies. Growing up, I sold Samoas. In Wisconsin, I bought Caramel DeLites. My favorite as a kid? Tagalongs. You might know them as Peanut Butter Patties. Apparently there are two factories that produce Girl Scout cookies, thus the differing names. I believe my childhood factory had way more awesome names for the cookies.

Luckily for us all, a Thin Mint is a Thin Mint, and a Thin Mint is delicious. With the year whittling down, I am down to one last box of Thin Mint cookies. To celebrate this last box of cookies I decided to make some ice cream. Hopefully there will be little girls in sashes popping up soon, because I need me some cookies.

Thin Mint Ice Cream

Adapted from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups half & half
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup skim milk
2 tsp peppermint extract
Green food coloring (optional)
½ c thin mint cookies, crushed

In a medium bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until creamy and pale yellow. Add cornstarch.

In a medium saucepan, heat half & half to a simmer. Slowly whisk half & half into egg mixture, then transfer all back to the pan. Heat custard, while stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Pour through a sieve into a medium bowl and set aside to cool. Stir in heavy cream, milk, peppermint and food coloring (if using). Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir chilled custard, and then freeze in your favorite ice cream maker. When the ice cream is partially frozen, add in crushed cookies. The machine will mix the cookies into the ice cream. Once frozen, transfer the ice cream to a container and place in the freezer. Serve with chocolate sauce.