Mandy's Famous Bubble Gum Ice Cream

I'm not allowed to have bubble gum in the house.

This rule dates back to my childhood, when I would shove as many pieces as I could into my mouth and chew the giant wad, only to spit it out minutes later when the flavor began to leave.  I would repeat this process again and again until all of the gum was gone.  I once did this with a giant paint can of Tongue Splashers bubble gum (remember those, the ones that would "paint" the entire inside of your mouth?), and was pretty alarmed at what I discovered once digestion had taken place.  (I'll leave that one to your imagination, lest Cassie unfriend me.)

Also, I like to blow really big bubbles that pop and get in my hair and eyebrows.  It's a mess.

So, yeah, no bubble gum in this house.

Except that when you mention to your favorite 5-year old, sweet little neurotic memory-like-a-steel-trap Iris, that you're considering making some bubble gum ice cream, and that you'll make it before she moves away (and breaks your heart in the process--I'm still mad at her parents), and then every time you talk to her or see her in the interim she asks about the famed bubble gum ice cream--well, you've go no choice then but to buy a big ol' bag of bubble gum.  I actually bought two kinds: Double Bubble Bubble Gum for flavor, and some pretty colorful gumballs for beauty.

And you might think that since decades have passed since the Tongue Splashers incident of '91 that I have matured, that I'm a grown woman now, a professional, a college graduate.  Surely I would be able to resist the foolishness that is putting multiple pieces of gum into your mouth at the same time, right?  Right?

Wrong.

Shoot.

Fortunately, there was plenty of gum for me to go all Violet Beauregarde up in here AND to create some wild ice cream.

Note: this ice cream tastes like bubble gum.  It's not some lame vanilla ice cream with bubble gum pieces.  If you're a grown-up, it probably won't be your favorite.  But if you're seeking the love of a child (ew, that sounded way more gross than I intended), this might be a good way to go.  Also, do not be a pedophile.  That is gross.  Do make this ice cream for a kid's birthday party, so long as you're not on a sexual offenders list.  This note really took a turn for the worst.

Mandy's Famous Bubble Gum Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups half & half
2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
20 pieces of Double Bubble bubble gum
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 drops peppermint extract (optional)
pretty colorful gumballs, cut into quarters
pink food coloring (optional)

Directions

1.  In a large saucepan, bring the half & half and the milk to a boil.  Add the bubble gum.  Boil for 3 minutes, and then cover and remove from heat.  Allow milk mixture to steep for 30 minutes.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar.  Slowly add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking all the while.

3.  Return contents to the saucepan on medium heat.  Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Do not allow it to come to a boil.

4.  Once the mixture achieves desired custard-like thickness, pour it into a bowl and add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract.  You may also choose to add a few drops of pink food coloring.  Chill the mixture in refrigerator for a minimum or 4 hours.  Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

5.  When the ice cream has churned, you may wish to freeze it further in the freezer.  Mix in the quartered gumballs.