CRAZY FOR ICE CREAM

Owning an ice cream maker doesn't necessarily mean you will make ice cream that often.  It is one of those appliances that seems like a great idea when you are in the store, you buy it and bring it home, and then rarely ever use.  I own alot of kitchen appliances and gadgets like that, but I refuse to give them away because when I do want to make __________ (fill in the blank - ice cream, popcorn, pasta, peel apples, core apples, juice, etc)  then I have the tool to do the job.  Unfortunately this means my basement is FULL of kitchen equipment.  Ah well, that's the beauty of having a basement.  A friend recently told me that Gandhi once said to only own as much "stuff" as you can fit into a chest.  HMMMMMMMM I am way past that point.  Though it is comforting to think that I am not a fear based person when it comes to the thought of my house being broken into and all my stuff stolen.  I mean I like my stuff, but I can live without all of it.  Anyway, so the point of this story is that I have been making ice cream a lot lately.  I can't help it.  I see organic dairy products on sale and I keep bringing home whipping cream and milk that needs to be used STAT!  My favorite thus far has been last night's treat of Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM

3 organic eggs

1 cup organic sugar

250 g organic chocolate chips

2 1/4 cup organic half and half

1 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

3/4 cup organic natural peanut butter

Method:  Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl.  In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and cream.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted.  Whisk into the egg mixture.  Return entire mixture back to the pan and cook over low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Strain into a large bowl.  Let cool to room temperature.  Then stir in the vanilla and milk.  Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Transfer one cup of the cream mixture to a blender and blend in the peanut butter.  Stir peanut butter mixture into remaining cream mixture.  Transfer to an ice cream maker.