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29 July 2011

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.


8 comments:

  1. You are an ice cream making machine! Also, I thank you for your Tongue Splashers discretion. Let's be friends for a long, long time.

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  2. I'd like a video of you cutting gumballs in quarters please!
    I thought gum was supposed to be chewed for just a few minutes just to absorb all the flavor... double bubble especially.

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  3. It wasn't too hard to cut the gumballs into quarters. Just used a small knife and exercised caution, you know, so that I didn't cut the tip of my finger off.

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  4. That's not how it is in my imagination.... remember the pic you posted of the big a$$ butcher knife???? I know that's what you used.


    OHHHH! and I just had an awesome cookie!!! oatmeal with chocolate chunks and dried cherries, you should totally figure them out and make them for all to see.

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  5. Like I chopped up the gumballs as though they were a would-be murderer?

    Cookie sounds tasty. I need to make some cookies soon. I'll keep that one in mind.

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  6. Do you really melt the double bubble and leave it in the mixture to be eaten? I didn't see any directions to strain it out... Am I understanding this right? Thanks!

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  7. Hey, you're totally right. I made a mistake in the directions. You need to strain the double bubble out. While we're at it, I was just thinking about this recipe the other day and decided that it'd be better with less actual sugar in it--maybe 1/2 cup or even 1/4 cup. The ice cream got a lot of sugar from the gum itself. Kids loved it, but it was a little much for adults.

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  8. Thanks for the clarification! I think I'll try it with the less sugar too! Can't wait!
    Susan

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