Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. I am a strict observer of National Ice Cream Month and with National Ice Cream Day approaching on Sunday, July 15, I thought I'd share with you a few of my  favorite ice cream recipes. My family is crazy about Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!  I have to admit that it's not my favorite, but this recipe just might convert me.  Instead of relying on mint extract for the flavor, I used herbal mint tea. I steeped the tea in warm milk to infuse the flavor. I think it has a  natural sweetness and freshness that works well with ice cream.

2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 bags peppermint herbal tea
1 cup sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat. Add the peppermint tea bags.  Remove from heat. Steep  1-2 hours. Gently squeeze the tea from the bags. Discard the bags. In a medium bowl, mix the peppermint infused milk with the cream. Chill. Whisk in the sugar. Continue whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Pour milk mixture into an ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer's directions. Add the chocolate chips to the mixture during the last five minutes of processing. Place the ice cream in a freezer-proof container and freeze until ice cream is firm.

Notes:
I used Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Tea.

I used a Cuisinart 2-quart counter top ice cream maker. I absolutely love it! I processed the ice cream for 20 minutes, added the chocolate chips and continued churning for 5 minutes more.

My oldest daughter insists that mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes better when it is green!  I added two drops of green food coloring to the milk before whisking in the sugar.