Makes 1 quart
Before we started making mint ice cream ourselves, we called it “the green ice cream.” Now we realize that the people who make green ice cream must be putting some scary stuff into it to make the color so bright, since ours isn’t very green at all! Ours has just the same fresh taste we love, but without any additives. It’s a surprising whitish color in the end, but our favorite green monsters love to eat it anyway because of its awesome flavor!
You might think you won’t like this kind of ice cream, but it’s our boys’ favorite flavor by far. They love to go out to our garden (mint is the easiest thing to grow), then come in, fists full of mint, and request we make ice cream. Yum!
INGREDIENTS
• 2 C full-fat canned coconut milk
• 2 C unsweetened vanilla-flavor almond or hemp milk
• 1 C fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 C unrefined granulated sugar
• ½ C chocolate (use chips, minis, or even chunks: your choice!)
INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP
1. In medium sauce pan, combine milks, mint (whole leaves), and sugar and simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Simmer 15–20 minutes, letting little hands stir frequently until sugar is complete dissolved.
3. Strain out mint leaves, and place liquid in refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes. If you enjoy a strong mint flavor and want a vibrant bright green color, you could blend mixture until smooth instead of straining.
4. Churn cooled mixture in ice cream maker for 30 minutes, adding chocolate halfway through.
5. Transfer to airtight container and freeze ice cream after churning. Best served 1-4 hours after being frozen. If not eaten immediately, simply set the ice cream on the counter for 10–15 minutes prior to serving in order to soften.
