Yellow Ribbon Project ice cream

It’s time to share the next ice cream flavour in my Sesame Street ice cream series! Coming up today is Oscar the Grouch! He’s a grump, he’s stinky and lives in a trash can but that doesn’t mean this ice cream can’t be delicious.

My son was excited (again) to make ice cream that represented a Sesame Street character and more than happy that it was Oscar the Grouch. My husband on the other hand… well he was worried the ice cream would be too gross looking and he wouldn’t want to eat it. I totally get that and I’m the same. Therefore, I can’t do that… it still has to look appetizing! With flavours of white chocolate, peanut butter and a ribbon of caramel, this ice cream should turn any grouch into one happy fur ball. It made my son and hubby happy.

Of course, this ice cream has been dyed green. Use however much food colour you are comfortable with. I use gel food colouring, but there are other options available for those of you opposed to conventional food dyes. You can purchase natural dyes from brands such as India Tree or Color Garden, or make your own.

Remember to tune in tomorrow for the next flavour in this fun series! Who could it possibly be…..?

oscar the grouch ice cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 8 ounce white chocolate chips
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 cup caramel ice cream topping (chilled)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (chilled)

Method

1. Fill a piping bag (or a strong disposable freezer bag) with the peanut butter. If using a disposable bag, cut tip to 1/2 inch opening approximately.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pipe the peanut butter into dots or blobs onto the sheet. Aim for each dot to be approximately the size of a big blueberry. Put sheet in freezer.
3. Heat milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 5 minutes.
4. Put egg yolks into a medium heat proof bowl and lightly beat. Whisk egg yolks constantly and slowly pour in hot milk mixture. Return to saucepan and continue to cook and stir until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips until melted.
5. Pour custard through a mesh strainer, into a large bowl. Stir in heavy cream. Add green gel food colour until desired result is achieved. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 2-3 hours.
6. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions or until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Add cookie crumbs and frozen peanut butter pieces during last two minutes of churning.
7. Gently swirl caramel into the soft ice cream creating ribbons. Transfer ice cream to a container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 3 hours.