Christmas Cheeseburgers

Mary has been lobbying hard for cheeseburgers for our Christmas Eve dinner. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't go there. Seems like Christmas Eve's menu should be more special than cheeseburgers. But, she doesn't give up easily. To satisfy her, I offered to cook cheeseburgers for her friends on the Eve before Christmas Eve. So tonight, Mary and five friends showed up at Farm Dover for dinner. It was great fun and the cheeseburgers were a big hit.

In addition to the cheeseburgers, I served homemade peppermint ice cream with hot fudge sauce for dessert.
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Peppermint Ice Cream
adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

ingredients

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

preparation

Set a large glass bowl above a pot of simmering water, not letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water line. Add the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl and stir occasionally until the sugar has mostly dissolved the the yellow has paled in color. About 5 minutes. Set the bowl aside.

Mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and set aside to dissolve. Empty the water from the pot, put the remaining milk and cream in the pot over medium heat and warm until bubbles form on the outer edges. Slowly add the warm cream to the yolks, stirring as you add. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and the peppermint extract.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably closer to three.

Put the mixture in an ice cream maker and churn according to instructions. In the last minute, add the peppermint candies. Take a bite, if its not quite minty enough for you, add another splash of extract. Transfer the mixture to a container for the freezer, and freeze for at least a few hours to firm up.

Top with hot fudge sauce. Enjoy!