no churn peppermint mocha ice cream
December is just around the corner, and I’m finally ready to take a break from pumpkin content :P Although I still have healthy stockpile of specialty pumpkins decorating my home, and I’m slowly baking them off one by one.
So, I wanted to start with something easy…but also a quintessential flavour for the upcoming holidays. No churn peppermint ice cream. No ice cream machine needed! All you need is some whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, espresso powder (or instant coffee powder!), and a few candy canes.
I also tried out a new technique for crushing candy canes while testing this recipe, and am so pleased with how it worked. In the past I’ve used a plastic bag and a meat hammer to crunch up candy canes, but it’s a bit tedious and violent. Ha! For small amounts I’ve simply used my mortar and pestle, which works wonderfully. But this year I popped them my mini food processor and it crunched them up in a jiffy!
no churn peppermint mocha ice cream
recipe: Kelsey Siemens
ingredients
2 cups (480 mL) heavy cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup (20g) cocoa powder
1-2 tablespoons espresso powder (or instant coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of whipping cream)
Pinch of salt
12 mini candy canes, crushed - or to taste
topping: chunk of dark chocolate (I use a baking square) - shaved into curls
to make the ice cream
In a medium bowl, whip the whipping cream on high speed until medium peaks have formed. Add the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, espresso powder and a pinch of salt. Whip again on high speed until just combined. It should look like soft mousse when finished. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Taste the mixture and add more espresso powder if desired. Fold in 2-3 tablespoons of crushed candy canes.
In an airtight container (I like to use weck jars) layer the ice cream mixture and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes. Cover and transfer to the freezer for 2-3 hours before serving.
To serve, top with more crushed candy canes and a few chocolate curls.
Tips:
To make easy chocolate curls: run a peeler along a bar of chocolate to create curls and flakes.
To crush up candy canes: I used a mini food processor, but often use a mortar and pestle or a plastic bag and meat hammer.
Do your best not to overwhip the whipping cream - don’t bring it to stiff peaks until all the ingredients have been added. If it gets overwhipped it may cause a fatty mouth feel once frozen.
This ice cream is best served within the first week of making.
Happy ice cream making!
