Peanut butter and Chocolate Chip Ice cream

The summer of 2008 is fondly remembered as the lost summer, at least in my mind. 2008 was my last year of grad school and the summer of 2008 was the summer of my thesis. I defended my thesis in late august which meant that I spent the many weeks and months before writing.

My thesis is a collection of over 500 pages worth of text, images and data. Lots and lots of data. I'd say it's over half full of NMR spectra, experimental protocols and mass spec readouts. This massive collection of my brilliance was no easy feat to pull together. I would spend all day working tirelessly in the lab, trying to finish my project before my D-day. I would then head home and take up residence at the kitchen table. I would write introduction chapters, edit Chemdraw slides and resize NMR files. Images would suddenly jump to the next page and I would try to keep data next to the relevant text. The sun would rise and set and I would be there at my computer.

The summer of 2008 was lost in a blur of thesis writing and chemistry doing.  Of course it was all worth it, in the end.  I'm now Dr. Wilde in the Kitchen and my PhD has allowed me to become gainfully employed.  So, while the summer of 2008 may have passed me by, the summer of 2011 is going to be mine.  Here I come weekends, get the beaches ready, release the summer blockbusters, fill my calendar with festivals.  I'm so ready!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One thing that the summer of 2008 and the summer of 2011 have in common is this ice cream.  I first made it three years ago to break in my new ice cream maker.  The peanut butter ice cream is so smooth and delicious, punctuated with little chocolate chips.  It's the perfect way to finish my day!

3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until creamy and yellow.

Place milk in a medium mixing bowl and heat over medium-low until it comes to a simmer.  Slowly add to the egg mixture, whisking continuously.  Return mixture to the saucepan and heat until thickened.  It should coat the back of a spoon.  Add peanut butter and whisk until combined. 

Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into another bowl.  Allow this to cool for 5 minutes before adding heavy cream and vanilla.  Cover and place in the fridge until cooled.

Freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions.  Add mini chocolate chips in the last few minutes of churning.