This week, I decided to make my own and got some great advice from the king of desserts himself, David Lebovitz on just how to go about it. David is the author of a fantastic book on ice cream, so he should know! I fudged a bit with the ingredient proportions that David gave me, but the method is all his. Thank you David.

What Makes This Peppermint Ice Cream Special

As with French vanilla ice cream, this method requires cooking a custard to add to the cream. It’s a little more work, but the egg yolks are what makes the homemade ice cream divinely creamy. Otherwise, without all the emulsifiers that typically go into storebought versions, homemade ice cream can be a bit icy. If I’m going to go to the trouble to make something from scratch, I want it to taste better than what I can buy from a store. And this does. To serve, let the hardened ice cream soften up for 5 or 10 minutes before scooping.

More Sweet Ice Cream Treats!

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream Coffee Heath Bar Ice Cream Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches Butter Pecan Ice Cream Strawberry Ice Cream

Different peppermint extracts vary in strength. I used 2 teaspoons of McCormick peppermint extract, which was just the right amount for our tastes. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.