Homemade ice cream – Feasting Is Fun

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

How do you improve on one of the best flavours of ice cream known to man? You squish it between two incredible, homemade cookies! And so I bring you Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. Because lovely people, this is the foodie equivalent of winning all the coins and one-ups in a Super Mario game and then some. So, stick with me as I take you through an incredible ice cream journey.

FF Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream — **Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream**

First of all there is ice cream, packed with Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cups. While some are mini cups are left whole, others are roughly chopped. Resulting in a peanut butter cup filled ice cream base. While dark chocolate ganache ripples through the vanilla base, with a hit of pure peanut butter in every spoonful. Take a moment. Because, I undersrand if you want to think on that for a while?

Finally, complimenting such a flavour punched ice cream are my Caramac Caramel Cookies. Since a large, robust Cookie is the only way to go when sandwiching chunks of peanut butter cup ice cream. And because these cookies are double their usual size, they are perfect for creating an ice cream sandwich.

Finally, completely sending this ice cream cookie sandwich over the top, is the customisation of the mega cookies. First of all they are dipped in dark chocolate and then sprinkled with peanut butter chips, rather than contrasting, they compliment the flavours within the ice cream.

Recipe: Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream makes 1L approx.

300mls Double Cream plus an additional 100mls for the chocolate ganache

300mls Whole Milk

6tbsp Caster Sugar

1/4 tsp Sea Salt – I use Maldon

4 Large Free Range Egg Yolks

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1tsp Cornflour

100g/4oz Dark Chocolate minimum 70% Cocoa plus an additional 100g of Dark Chocolate for dipping the cookies

50g/2oz Peanut Butter

1 x 226g/8oz Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Minis – alternatively use the equivalent weight of regular Reeces Peanut Butter Cups roughly chopped

Caramac Caramel Cookies recipe to create the cookie sandwiches.

Method: Preparing the ice cream maker.

Ensure the freezing part/bowl of the ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, or according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: For step-by-step instructions, including photographs please see here.

Making The Ice Cream Base

First of all, Place the milk and cream into a heavy bottom saucepan over a medium heat. Heat the cream mixture to scalding point, little bubbles appear around the rim of the saucepan before the mix reaches boiling point. As soon as scalding point is reached, remove the pan from the heat.
While the cream mix is heating, place the eggs, salt, sugar, cornflour and vanilla extract into a large heatproof bowl. Whisk together until the eggs have thickened.
With the whisk switched to slow, gently pour the hot cream mix into the bowl with the egg mix, whisking constantly. This creates the custard base for the ice cream.
Pour the custard base back into the saucepan, place over a medium heat and stir constantly. Cook until the custard has thicker and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard through a sieve, into a large heatproof bowl.
Place cling film directly on top of the custard to stop a skin from forming.
Leave the custard to cool a little before placing in the fridge to chill.

Preparing The FlavouringS And Churning The Ice Cream

While the ice cream base is chilling, prepare the mini Reeces butter cups. Tip out on to a chopping board, roughly divide into two thirds which will be roughly chopped and one third, which are kept whole.
Also make the chocolate ganache, which will be swirled through the ice cream. Place 100g of chocolate and 100mls of double cream into a heatproof/microwaveable jug. Heat on medium for 30 second bursts, stirring after each heating session. As soon as the chocolate starts melting into the cream continue stirring until the ganache is smooth and shiny. Set to one side to cool.
Set the ice cream maker up as per manufacturer’s instructions.
Add the peanut butter to the ice cream base. Use a balloon whisk to break it up into small pieces within the ice cream base.
Pour the ice cream mixture into the already churning ice cream maker.
As soon as the ice cream is thickened and frozen stop the machine. Remove the paddle so the ice cream can be scooped out.

Adding The Reeses Peanut Butter Cups And Chocolate Ganache To The Ice Cream

Scatter a few chopped Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Minis in the bottom of the freezing container.
Scoop half of the ice cream on top of the peanut butter cups.
Add one half of the remaining chopped and whole peanut butter cups. Now add the remaining ice cream.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the peanut butter cups through the ice cream using a figure of eight motion.

FF Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream — Adding the chocolate ganache swirl to the **Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream**.

Pour the cooled, yet still liquid, chocolate ganache on top of the ice cream. Again, using the handle of a wooden spoon swirl the ganache through the ice cream.
Snap on an airtight lid, or double wrap in cling film and place the ice cream into the freezer to firm up.
Leaving the ice cream to freeze overnight ensures the chocolate ganache fully freezes within the ice cream.

Finally, to serve, remove the ice cream from the freezer 10-20 minutes prior to scooping. Allowing the ice cream to soften slightly. Scoop two balls of ice cream and place on one large cookie, top with another cookie and press gently to form the ice cream cookie sandwich. Alternatively, scoop and serve in a bowl with additional Mini Reeces Peanut Butter Cups.

Decorating The Cookies

Make the Caramac Caramel Cookies according to the Recipe.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking tray.
Melt 100g of chocolate in a heatproof, microwaveable bowl, on medium setting, for 30 seconds at a time. Stir the chocolate after each heating session.
As soon as the chocolate is melted, dip each cookie into the chocolate, using a spoon to cover halfway across the top oven each cookie.
Place the chocolate covered cookies on to baking parchment and sprinkle Reece’s peanut butter chips over the chocolate covered half. Leave to set. In hot weather place in the fridge for a few minutes until set.

Such an incredible ice cream deserves a cookie that enhances all of its qualities.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream you may also like these:

Caramac Caramel Cookieswith Very Vanilla Ice Cream

Rolo Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Rolo Ice Cream

Chocolate Monster Mini Egg Cookies with Smarties Chocolate Mini Egg Ice Cream

Since all of the recipes shown can only be made at home, this emphasises the core beliefs of Feasting is Fun. Because creating flavour combinations at home, should be fun. Resulting in each one of these examples as a feast in itself. Also, most importantly, invite your friends over to share these incredible ice cream cookie sandwiches. Finally proving that all food tastes better when shared.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced without my specific written permission. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream

So this this summer I’m having lots of fun making different flavoured ice creams. Yet would I be able to turn a Mr Sherick’s Hint of Mint shake into one? Well, you know me, always up for a challenge. This one is not good, not great, but, awesome. A delicious creamy Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream!

I do apologise for the poor lighting in the photographs. Once this ice cream was made, chilled, churned, frozen and served the light levels were low. If I’d have waited another day I would have had a riot at home. Everyone was desparate to see how the milkshake had turned into an ice cream!

When most people are given a milkshake or two, they tend to drink them. Oh no, not me. My brain starts whirring as to what can I make with them. I knew I wanted to try an ice cream recipe.

All of Mr Sherick’s shakes are thick, creamy and very luxurious, so I was pretty confident the ‘Hint of Mint’ shake would work well.

What I was not prepared for was just how good the ice cream would turn out. Unbelievably creamy and smooth, with just the right ‘Hint of Mint’ against a light chocolate background. This Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream is seriously good. A massive hit with the whole family giving it a very firm 10/10.

As many of you who read this blog regularly will know, anything above an 8.5 is very hard to attain from our youngest daughter, so Mr Sherick’s you should be very pleased with a top score.

Whilst making the ice cream I resisted the urge to add some extra chunks of minty chocolate. I am so glad that I did. This ice cream is so smooth and dreamily creamy. Yes there is a place for mint chocolate chips in ice cream, but not in this recipe.

Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream smooth and refreshing.

Recipe: Makes 750ml Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream

1 x 250ml Hint of Mint Milkshake by Mr Sherick’s

300mls Double Cream

50ml Whole Milk

4 Large Free Range Egg Yolks

5tbsp Caster Sugar

1tsp Corn Flour – I use Waitrose

Method: For photographic step by step instructions see Very Vanilla Ice Cream.

Note: Ensure the frozen bowl part of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for 8 hours or according to manufacturers instructions.

Pour the milkshake, milk and cream into a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat.
Bring to scalding point – a rim of small bubbles will form, just before the liquid boils.
As soon as the liquid has reached scalding point remove from the heat.
Into a large bowl add the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour.
Whisk until pale and creamy.
With the whisk on slow gently pour in the scalded cream/milkshake mixture.
Once combined pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan on a low/medium heat (custard base). Stirring continuously.
When the custard base has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon remove the saucepan from the heat.
Pour the custard base through a sieve into a clean bowl.

Place cling film directly on top of the custard base to stop a skin forming.
Leave to cool and when just warm place in the fridge to chill until cold.
Once cold the custard base is ready to be churned into ice cream.
Set up your ice cream maker according to the instructions given by the manufacturer.
Switch the machine on so that it is churning and carefully pour in the custard base.
Churn until the ice cream is softly frozen. Stop the ice cream maker.

Remove the paddle from the ice cream maker and scoop all of the ice cream off into a freezer proof tub. Use a silicone spatula to scoop the remaining ice cream out and into the tub.

Pop a lid on the tub a place in the freezer until frozen solid, ideally overnight but you can check after 4 hours.
To serve your Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream, remove the tub from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.
I scooped balls of the delicious ice cream into premade (not by me!) brandy snap baskets and garnished with a little fresh mint.

One bottle of ‘Hint of Mint’ milkshake makes a smooth, elegant dessert for 4-6 people, depending on how generous your portions are. In our house it was split between 5 people.

I am utterly thrilled that I was not only able to turn a shake into ice cream, more so that it was a very, very good ice cream. The hint of mint was still there and this proved to be a very smooth and refreshing ice cream. Perfect after a spicey meal, or in a cone in the garden whilst enjoying the sun.

Why don’t you churn your Mr Sherick’s shakes into ice cream?

If you have enjoyed the recipe for this Mint Chocolate Milkshake Ice Cream here are some others you may like to try:

Chocolate Honeycomb Ice Cream

Lemon Ripple Ice Cream

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

Creating new flavours using my new Andrew James Ice Cream Maker is so much fun. Using milkshakes from Mr Sherick’s to successfully create delicious ice cream is a creative achievement for me.

If you’ve been inspired to churn your shakes into ice cream please let me know? I love reading your comments and seeing your photos on Twitter and Instagram. Talking of which, keep your eyes open for a Mr Sherick’s giveaway coming very soon.

Have fun making, baking and creating in your kitchens and remember food always tastes better when it’s shared.

Sammie xx

Mr Sherick’s sent me some of their shakes to try. All opinions, views, content and photographs are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Lemon Ripple Ice Cream

Lemon Ripple Ice Cream, this is THE ice cream I have wanted to make throughout my entire life. Creamy with tart lemon curd rippled through. If you love lemon, like I do, then trust me when I say you need to make this luscious ice cream.

This luscious Lemon Ripple Ice Cream really is a dream come true for me. I adore lemons. Also, I heard Jamie Oliver once say that if there weren’t lemons in his kitchen he’d give up cooking. I doubt he meant it quite to that extreme, but I do understand his passion for them.

Happily I use them in savoury recipes such as my Tangy Lemon Potato Salad and sweet recipes such as this delightful Lemony Strawberry Pavlova. Their flavour is so transferable between both sweet and savoury dishes.

Here, in this Lemon Ripple Ice Cream, there is a wonderful soft, creamy lemon background flavour, with bursts of tart, intense citrus lemon. The combination of both the subtle and vibrant creates a tastebud sensation that draws you into a dreamy world of lemony loveliness.

The Benefit Of Homemade Ice Cream

While you absolutely could eat this ice cream in a cone, for me, I wanted nothing to interrupt the pure creamy sensation of eating it with just a spoon. I wasn’t disappointed!

This Lemon Ripple Ice Cream is deceptively yummy. I feared whilst churning it yesterday in my new Andrew James Ice Cream Maker, that none would actually make it to the freezer. Happily I restrained myself. I am so glad that I did. Tasting it today, frozen, yet softened enough to scoop, was reward for my patience and restraint!

Just a quick note on ingredients; if you don’t have lemon extract, which is available online and in good supermarkets, don’t worry, the lemon curd added during the churning process will still provide a great lemon flavour. As for the lemon curd, use a good quality tart one, without bits. I love lemon curd with real peel in it, but this is not the place to use it.

Recipe: Makes 750ml Lemon Ripple Ice Cream

300ml Double Cream

300ml Whole or Semi Skimmed Milk

4 Large Free Range Egg Yolks

1tsp Corn Flour

1/8 tsp Salt – I use Maldon

6tbsp Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen Massey

1tsp Lemon Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

300g Best Quality Lemon Curd – I used Waitrose new waitrose 1 lemon curd, it is beautifully tart

Method: Ensure the frozen ‘bowl’ of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for 24 hours or according to the manufacturers instructions.

Note – For step by step photos of the custard base cooking process please see Very Vanilla Ice Cream

Making The Ice Cream Base

First of all pour the cream and milk into a large saucepan on a medium heat.
Heat until just before the liquid boils, you will see little bubbles form around the outside rim – this is known as the scalding point, once reached remove from the heat.
In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, extracts and corn flour until pale and thickened.
With the whisk still running on low, slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture.
Tip the entire mixture back into the saucepan, place over a medium/low heat stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove from the heat.
Pour the hot custard through a sieve into a large bowl.
Place cling film directly on to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.

Leave to cool and then chill in the fridge. Once chilled transfer to a jug.

Churning The Ice Cream Base And Adding The Lemon Ripple

Set up your ice cream maker and if it is like mine, it will need to be switched on and churning before pouring in the custard.
Pour in the custard through the shoot and leave to churn until softly frozen.
Add half of the lemon curd, I use a teaspoon and added it one teaspoon at a time, through the hole, so that it slowly becomes incorporated within the ice cream.
When the ice cream is soft but can hold its shape stop the ice cream maker.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer proof tub.
Spoon the remaining lemon curd on to the ice cream.

Use a spoon to gently ripple the lemon curd through the ice cream.

Resist the urge to just dive in with a spoon, as this really tastes better once it is properly frozen.
Pop the lid on and place in the freezer for 12 hours or ideally overnight. Why ideally? Because then you’ll be asleep and not thinking about the ice cream.
To serve, remove the tub from the freezer 15 minutes before scooping to allow it to soften.

Serving And Enjoying Homemade Ice Cream

Serve scooped into elegant dessert bowls or enjoy in an ice cream cone. Either way prepare yourself to fall completely, head over heels in love, with a new flavour of ice cream – Lemon Ripple Ice Cream.

Lemon Ripple Ice Cream is very much a dreamily, creamy ice cream, not in any way a sorbet – which by the way I love and am working on a recipe.

This ice cream would make the perfect dessert after a spicy, hot meal. Refreshing, creamy and palette cleansing, yet you still feel like you’ve had dessert.

However and whenever you eat this delicious ice cream, be sure to enjoy it with others. Listen to the oohs and aahs of your loved ones enjoying something really, really good. It will make you smile 😀

If you have enjoyed this Lemon Ripple Ice Cream recipe here are some others that you may also want to try:

Strawberry Ripple Ice Cream

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

Strawberry Rose Ice Cream

I love being able to create my own ice cream flavours at home. Having an ice cream maker makes it so easy. Preparing the custard takes 15 minutes, then the custard is left to cool. Churning takes about 20 minutes and you can eat the ice cream scooped from the ice cream maker, if you want a soft set ice cream. Otherwise overnight in the freezer and you have any flavour ice cream you like!

That can never be a bad thing eh???

Thank you for your comments, photos on social media, I absolutely love seeing your makes and bakes. It still thrills me every time someone uses one of my recipes.

Have fun feasting, sharing and making people smile.

Sammie xx

Andrew James provided me with an ice cream maker to review. All views, opinions, content, recipes and photographs are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy.