Peppermint Kiss Ice Cream Sundae
December 18, 2018 by Nicole Collins
“So, leave a peppermint stick for old St. Nick hanging on the Christmas tree...”
Happy Holidays.....HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Guys, Santa is coming in ONE WEEK! Be honest. Are you on the naughty list or the nice list this year?
I'm not judging either way, but I'm going to bet you're ALL on the nice list this year. How could you not be?
I must have been a really good girl this year, because I've been getting gifts and blessings all year. Though, I also feel like this year has been a whirlwind, and I can't believe we're 2 weeks away from it being over. Between changing careers, buying a car for the first time in 8 years, redoing my favorite room in the house, and taking my first international vacation...I'm definitely feeling like time is flying, but I'm loving every minute of it!
I don't feel like I've been totally soaking up all of the holiday spirit that the last half of the year has to offer, though. I totally missed Halloween. I was sick for Thanksgiving. And, I was so exhausted while I was putting up the Christmas tree that I didn't totally enjoy it. But, I've got a couple different holiday activities planned over the next week, so hopefully that kick in the pants will keep me going right through the new year.
One holiday flavor I've been really extra into this year is peppermint. I just can't get enough of it! Peppermint bark. Peppermint truffles. And, have you guys had that peppermint crunch milkshake from Chick Fil A? OMG...it's amazing and worth every last one of those 680 calories for a small one!
Today, we're revving up our holiday spirit with an extra special, totally easy peppermint treat that was kind of inspired by those heavenly milkshakes.
Today, we're making Peppermint Kiss Ice Cream Sundaes!
We start by making our own peppermint crunch ice cream. However, we're not breaking out the ice cream machine for this one. We're going the easy route, and we're jazzing up some store bought vanilla ice cream. It's so easy, too! We take some candy cane Hershey kisses, melt them with a little heavy cream, and swirl it through some vanilla ice cream along with some crushed Oreos.
Just let me have my way with this ice cream, and I'll be good. I don't even need the rest of the toppings!
But, I've already got the ingredients, so why not!
Next, we're going to make a quick ganache out of milk chocolate Hershey kisses to play the role of a hot fudge sauce for our sundae. It's a simple mix of warmed heavy cream and melted Hershey kisses that lends a rich, chocolatey topping to our minty cool ice cream.
For garnish, we're letting our inner whimsy shine through with some adorable baby marshmallows and some mini peppermint candy canes. And, how about a sprinkle of crushed candy cane on top, for good measure!
This sundae is like Christmas in a bowl. Sweet hints of peppermint swirled through frozen vanilla ice cream with small drops of chocolate and fluffy marshmallow toppings make for the perfect combo to embrace being cold this holiday season. We'll call it the winter version of making lemonade out of lemons!
There are so many other uses for the ice cream, too. You could use it to make a milkshake. You could pour some hot chocolate over it for a hot and cold drink. Just try your best not to eat the whole quart at one time.
Alright guys, we froze ourselves today. So, we're going to warm ourselves up from the inside out on Friday!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Peppermint Kiss Ice Cream Sundae Serves: 1.5 qt Print
Ingredients:
For the Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream:
1 container (1.5 qt) vanilla ice cream
1 sleeve (12 cookies) Oreo cookies, crushed
1 bag (10 oz) Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, wrappers removed
½ cup heavy cream
For the Hershey Kiss Ganache:
30 milk chocolate Hershey Kisses, wrappers removed
¼ cup heavy cream
For the Sundae:
mini candy canes, whole and crushed, for garnish
mini marshmallows, for garnish
Directions:
Make the Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream: Let vanilla ice cream soften for 1 hour at room temperature. Meanwhile, add candy cane kisses and ½ cup heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 min, whisk, and microwave for 30 seconds more. Whisk well to combine. Set aside to cool. When the ice cream has softened, take a quarter of the icecream, and spread it in a freezer safe container. Top with a quarter of the candy cane ganache and a quarter of the crushed cookies. Swirl gently with a knife. Repeat with remaining ingredients, layering ice cream, ganache, and cookies a quarter at a time. Cover and store in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.
Make the Hershey Kiss Ganache: Add Hershey kisses and ¼ cup heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 min. Whisk until smooth.
Assemble the sundaes: Scoop ice cream in to a bowl. Top with Hershey kiss ganache, candy canes, and mini marshmallows, if desired. Store leftover ice cream in the freezer. Store leftover ganache in the fridge.
Recipe notes:
*I scooped my softened ice cream in to a bowl and layered the ice cream back in the original container. It worked really well when it came to storing it in the freezer!
*You can reheat leftover ganache in the microwave in 20 second intervals until smooth again.
*The ice cream is great on it own, in a milk shake, or with some hot chocolate poured over top!
