Strawberry Chip Ice Cream

A Photo Blog post of Strawberry Chip Ice Cream

Thrifty Mint Chip Ice Cream

National Ice Cream Month - Day 5

For todays post I made a trip down to the local Rite Aid where they still have a Thrifty Ice Cream Scoop Counter. Thrifty brings back my earliest memory of eating ice cream back when I was just a kid and didn't know the difference between Sorbet, Gelato, and Super Premium Ice Cream. The only thing I cared about was that  I was going to get some sweet and delicious ice cream. What more can a kid want?

For those of  you who don't know about Thrifty Ice Cream it use to be part of Thrifty Drug Stores that was later acquired by Pay Less Drugs and now they are a part of Rite Aid. I remember single scoops of ice cream being only a quarter and that was probably why their ice cream so popular and accessible. One of the unique things about eating hand scooped Thrifty ice cream is the way it is served.

The Rite Aid clerks use a special cylinder ice cream gun that they just dip down into the ice cream counter and and then they squeeze the scoop onto your cone or cup. Not your traditional ice cream scoop. I think it makes licking the ice cream easier.

No matter what flavor combination I have made or tried Mint Chip will always be my favorite. I just can't get enough of that cool minty ice cream with pieces of dark chocolate melting your mouth.

Do you have a Thrifty's ice cream memory that you would like to share?

Walnut-N-Chip Ice Cream

Walnuts. What do you do with a costco size bag of walnuts? Well, if you're me, you make ice cream of course.

I have been craving a traditional Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, but I wanted to incorporate the walnuts into it as well. There is something so delicious and simple about the combination of sweet cream and bits of dark chocolate. The sweet cream with a hint of vanilla envelopes your mouth and embraces it with a warm flavor, then the pieces of dark chocolate begin to melt and blend in with the cream to create an irresistable combination. Now add in the crunchy and toasty flavor of little walnut pieces and it brings the Chocolate Chip Ice Cream to new heights...along the lines of one of my all-time favorite ice creams Mint-N-Chip...I've named this version Walnut-N-Chip.

This ice cream reminds me of eating chococlate chip walnut cookies. I'm sure this ice cream would go great with at nice hazelnut latte or steamy hot chocolate.

The recipe for this Walnut-N-Chip Ice Cream:

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of your favorite dark chocolate

In a sauce pan on medium high heat add your milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar and salt. Stir this until it comes to a low boil. Next temper the eggs with the warm cream. Once you have 3/4 of the warm cream tempered, pour it back into the saucepan and bring the ice cream base to a low boil or 170 degrees. Pour the ice cream base in a bowl and place into an ice bath. Add your pure vanilla extract and let the ice cream base cool and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Follow your ice cream maker instructions to make the ice cream. Toast the chopped walnuts so that the oil in the nuts are revived. Let cool. In the mean time, chop the dark chocolate into little pieces so that the are easy to eat. You can leave them chunky if you like to chew on your dark chocolate...I like mine to melt in my mouth. Once the ice cream begins to solidify, add the toasted, chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chips. When the ice cream is finished, place the ice cream in the freezer for 4 hours so that it can age. Then enjoy your delicious creation.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll reply to any comments that you leave.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

I'll see you next week for my Easter Ice Cream post!!

Bao