Do you have candy canes left over from the holiday festivities? Santa always decorates our Christmas tree with a dozen candy canes, and the kids enjoying trying to find them all on Christmas morning. This peppermint ice cream recipe is a unique way to use up candy canes and spread the peppermint goodness. Even though I live in chilly Massachusetts, it’s never too cold out for ice cream. We can always crank up the heat in the house, right?
My daughter received a Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball for Christmas, and she and her brother made a batch of this ice cream with it. We adapted the recipe from the instruction booklet that came in the package. This simple, clever device requires you to shake, roll, or pass the ball around for twenty minutes to churn the ice cream. I love putting my kids to work on food prep, and they’re more than happy to help when ice cream is the result. With just four simple ingredients and no hot oven to open, this is an easy recipe that kids can make entirely on their own. If you don’t have an Ice Cream Ball, you can churn these ingredients in a regular ice cream maker.
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
1 medium candy cane, crushed (or more to taste)
1. Crush the candy cane into tiny bits. You can use a mortar and pestle if you have them. Otherwise, put the candy cane in an unbreakable bowl or pan and pound on it with a rolling pin. (Let your children use their destructive creativity here.)
2. Stir together all the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Transfer the ingredients to the Ice Cream Ball or other ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Place the ice cream in a shallow, airtight container and put it in the freezer until it reaches the desired consistency (about an hour). If the ice cream gets too hard, place the container on the counter for 20 minutes or so to let it soften before scooping.
What recipes do your kids like to make? Please share your ideas in the comments.
