It's Almost Spring, and That Means Ice Cream

About 12 years ago, and young Elke purchased an ice cream maker at a flea market for $3. Jump to 2015, and she found it high up on a shelf, dusted it off, and decided to put it to use.

I drew inspiration for my ice cream from a recipe in Kinfolk Table, which was for a ginger ice cream with a kumquat compote. However, for my ice cream I made it ginger and mint, and I decided to leave out the compote.

This was absolutely delicious, especially because I had to wait 2 days to eat it! And remember, this will only work if you have an ice cream maker, but (from my personal experience) you can find them fairly cheap. #elkinthekitchen

Ginger Mint Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks

Directions
1. Place ginger in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain ginger and discard liquid.
2. Return ginger to saucepan and add sugar, milk, and cream. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Whisk egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until light in color. Slowly whisk in a 1/4 cup of the hot ginger cream mixture. Then, continue to slowly whisk in the remaining mixture.
4. Return to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, whisking constantly. Never allow the mixture to come to a boil. You will know it is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Remove from heat, and allow mixture to steep for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large bowl and discard the solids. Stir in the chopped mint, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
6. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker, following the directions supplied by the manufacturer. After the ice cream has been churned until it is firm, freeze for at least 2 hours, then enjoy!