I have a great love of bourbon, which, I think, grew out of my love for Kentucky where my family and I spent many summers visiting my godmother. I was too young to drink bourbon then, but a tall glass of dark sweet tea with handfuls of mint muddled at the bottom was always at hand. It was a refreshing way to stave off smothering humidity and it made the fun times more enjoyable. Mint juleps - a drink relying of mint, sugar, water, and good ‘ol Kentucky bourbon - have that same sweet-n-minty cooling quality. They take me back to those shady, easygoing vacations. It’s a cocktail that seems to roll the sweetness of breezy Bluegrass country and the excitement of the Kentucky Derby all into one. At a recent dinner I was unexpectedly tossed down Memory Lane when I tasted this mint julep ice cream. The chill-inducing mint and slightly spicy bourbon took me right back to those summer nights sitting on the river docks with my family. This recipe comes from the dessert-crafter extraordinaire Sacramento pastry chef Elaine Baker, who I’m sure must have cherished Southern memories of her own to develop an ice cream this good. *Note: You cannot substitute anything for the bourbon in this recipe. Otherwise, it’s not a mint julep. That said, you can make a simple mint ice cream, if you don’t want to use alcohol. Check out the mint chocolate chip recipe on the site.
