st. patty’s mint ice cream

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I don’t know why, but St. Patrick’s Day is probably one of my favorite holidays.  No, not because I have any Irish in me, because I’m pretty sure I have absolutely none.  But, because it’s a day where you can sit outside (usually) and drink green beer with friends.  It’s just a perfect day… and with it being in the 70s here in St. Louis, I’m really wishing I was sitting at McGurk’s right now.

But, alas, shaping the minds and bodies of students seems to be the priority today.  However, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some homemade mint ice cream for St. Patty’s day!

Mint Ice Cream
Adapted from this recipe again.  It’s just a great (vegan) ice cream base, and makes it taste incredibly rich + decadent!

1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Mint extract, to taste (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
3 to 4 drops green food coloring
1 cup mint cookies, chopped (or chocolate chips)

Combine coconut milk, almond milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Add in mint extract a little bit at a time, tasting after combining in until you get the mint taste you prefer.  (I used about 1 tablespoon.)  Stir in food coloring until fully incorporated.

Freeze ice cream according to the manufacturers instructions.  Once the ice cream is almost completely frozen (about 20-30 minutes), add in your mint mix-ins.  I went with Thin Mints this time, because they are pretty much one of the greatest cookies ever invented!

Spoon into a tupperware and freeze for at least 2 hours.  Serve and enjoy!

 

I loved how minty this turned out with the added mint cookies!  The perfect combination of creamy, rich ice cream and crunchy cookies.  I must have something to crunch in my ice cream – it just makes it better!

All of this ice cream went into the pie (the recipe doesn’t make a ton, which I like).  I only really only was able to eat the “batter” that was left in my ice cream bowl, but it was yummy!  With the mint cookie pie crust, it tasted like heaven.  And I think my fellow teachers enjoyed it quite a bit also.  Well, after I made them eat it since it was still in the freezer today!  Another piece of evidence that if you can’t see it, you won’t eat it!

But, I promise you, it wasn’t because they didn’t think it was delicious… well, at least I hope.