Peppermint Stick Gelato on a White Christmas
I am so thankful for the return of some normalcy to this year’s Christmas. While we continue to keep family gatherings small, we returned to normal celebrations. My parents came to visit since we were working during the holiday week (perhaps it is my secret way of avoiding the hectic Christmas travel scene!). There was the obligatory Christmas puzzle, games, prime rib, homemade ravioli – and, homemade peppermint stick gelato.
One of the things I am nostalgic for this time of year is peppermint stick ice cream. It was my favorite ice cream flavor as a child. My mom would often make an ice cream pie for a holiday dessert, using a pre-made chocolate graham crust, peppermint stick ice cream, and hot fudge on top. There is something about the combination of smooth mint ice cream with the tiny shards of candy cane adding a pleasant crunch – and with the contrast of the coolness of the mint with the warm fudge sauce….ice cream doesn’t get any better than this.
Peppermint stick ice cream has become a hard flavor to find. Mint chocolate chip is very popular in the US, but not peppermint stick…and in Italy, where my goal is usually to sample every single flavor of gelato possible, menta is a staple flavor but peppermint stick gelato appears nonexistent. (or, perhaps I just need to take a few more trips to Italy around the holidays to verify this!). Traditionally, Italians prefer their gelato smooth and pure, without a lot of the mix-ins or toppings our Ben & Jerry Americanized ice cream palates have become accustomed to in the US. (You can find a type of mint chocolate chip gelato in Italy called “After Eight” after the type of English chocolate mints the flavor is created with, and I suspect it is a novelty flavor that was created for the tourist market. )
Making gelato has become a regular pastime at our house thanks to the purchase of a Morano Gelato cookbook before it went out of print – and before the beloved Morano Gelato shop in Hanover NH closed during the pandemic. A few years ago, lamenting over the absence of peppermint stick ice cream on the shelves, I decided to make my own gelato version – let’s be honest, gelato is always better anyway. This recipe is now a staple at every Christmas meal, and is a perfect dose of nostalgia. Not to mention, it really is the Best. Flavor. Ever.
Notes on making this gelato: In Italy, you would never eat gelato at a shop that doesn’t make it fresh every day, and this goes for preparing gelato at home. Gelato is always, always best enjoyed the day it is made for the best texture. Thankfully, the gelato base doesn’t take long to make, and the ice cream can churn in the background while you prepare other dishes. In the unusual event that you have leftovers, it keeps well wrapped in the freezer for a day, but just keep in mind that the texture won’t be as smooth and creamy. Morano Gelato would actually suggest you let the leftover gelato melt, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and re-churn them in your ice cream maker. A small kitchen scale is an absolute must for gelato, and so many cooking tasks in general – I even use mine to measure out my morning coffee. Lastly, another sign of a gelato shop to avoid is the one that adds artificial coloring to their gelato. Menta, or mint, is my go-to flavor to determine if a gelato shop is legit: if the menta gelato is bright green, we avoid the shop and move on. At home, my one exception to this rule is peppermint stick gelato, which just looks so much more festive in its traditional pink color that I remember as a kid.
Peppermint Stick Gelato Recipe (adapted from Morano Gelato)
- 46 grams milk powder
- 180 grams granulated sugar
- 20 grams tapioca starch
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 ounces heavy cream
- 24 ounces (3 cups) whole milk
- 8 grams peppermint extract (preferred over mint extract)
- 55 grams crushed candy canes or peppermints (about 4 candy canes)
- Hot fudge sauce, for serving
Place a medium sized glass bowl on your scale and zero it out. Add the dry ingredients. In a 2.5 quart saucepan (ideally with a round bottom), pour in the milk and cream, then add the dry ingredients and whisk. Turn on the heat to medium high and continue whisking constantly – remember, this is how those Italian grannies keep their arms in good shape. Keep whisking, and the mixture will slowly thicken after about 8-10 minutes (watch closely to prevent it from burning). When it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and looks more like the texture of melted ice cream (there will be a very noticeable change in the thickness), whisk about 15 seconds longer then remove from heat.
In the now-empty glass bowl, measure out the 8 grams of peppermint extract, then pour in the ice cream base and whisk to combine. Add a small amount of red food coloring if desired. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top. Let the mixture sit 30 to 45 minutes until no longer hot, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until cooled completely.
Once cooled, pour it into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Add the crushed peppermint in the last 2 minutes of freezing. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the churned ice cream into a chilled container (or into a chocolate premade graham crust, if making an ice cream pie) and freeze for 4-6 hours. The gelato should be frozen enough to hold shape when scooped, but not rock hard. (Ugh, don’t even get me started on rock hard American ice cream…why must everything in the US be served teeth-shattering cold? I think one of the biggest reasons gelato never tastes as good in US stores as it does in Italy is the freezer temperature it is stored at. Well, and the freshness of ingredients too….but, that is a topic for another day).
Scoop ice cream into bowls and drizzle with hot fudge sauce (homemade is best, we use David Lebovitz’s recipe – a half batch is plenty). Savor while gathered around the Christmas tree with family. Serves 6-8 depending on portion size.