Recipe - Lemon Verbena Buttermilk Ice Cream with Berry Sauce

This refreshing, citrus-herbal ice cream is made tangy with buttermilk and creme fraiche. It is also delicious with the raspberry sauce used in Roasted Peach Melba (page 35) or with.

The rhubarb sauce used in Rhubarb, Cream & Blueberry Parfait (page 147) in place of the berry sauce. Crisp cookies round out the dish.

Season to Taste: Substitute lemon thyme or lemon balm for the lemon verbena. Alternatively, use a 3-by-1-inch strip of lemon zest.

Ice Cream

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup mild-flavored honey, such as acacia, alfalfa, or clover

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh lemon verbena leaves
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup creme fraiche
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)

Sauce

1/2 pint (about 1 cup) each blackberries
1/2 pint (about 1 cup) blueberries
1/2 pint (about 1 cup) raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. To make the ice cream, stir together the cream, sugar, honey, and salt in a small, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the surface and bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon verbena. Set aside to steep for 20 minutes.

2. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl, pressing on the leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Whisk in the buttermilk, creme fraiche, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, several hours, or place in the freezer for about 1 hour.

3. Freeze the ice cream base in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic film or waxed paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before covering. Freeze until the desired consistency, about 2 hours or up to 1 week.

4. To make the sauce, gently stir together all the berries and the sugar in a nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is very juicy, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until serving time or up to 3 days.

Read Full Entry

Create new taste sensations in homemade ice cream

Growing up, there weren’t a lot of choices with homemade ice cream. First, we had a hand ice cream churn rather than an electric one. Contrary to all the glowing memories of cranking the churn on the porch with happy children clustering around, eager to turn the crank, it was a tedious process.

The type of ice cream was determined from on high the adult making it although we could make a wish on occasion. A custard of eggs, sugar and cream, cooked over low heat, cooled and flavored before churning, then surrounded with ice and rock salt along with a flavoring that suited the whole crowd mostly peach, strawberry, chocolate or vanilla was the way ice cream was made, and had always been made, even for Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

The suspense was intense, particularly among the children, but the right ratio of salt and ice made for a hit-and-miss proposition, sometimes too icy and other times too soupy.

My husband and I have a deal. No ice cream in the house. Ever. We are both addicted to it, love it, dream about it, and it would be a constant temptation to eat.

A friend found an ice cream wrapper in my car and held it up to me, shame in her eyes. I confessed. We do eat ice cream when we travel, buying it at gas stations from those irregularly cooled chests, knowing it is not as good as we could make at home. We envy those who eat ice cream every night for dessert, as my father did, weighing the same when he passed on as he did when he was 20.

The development of kitchen gadgets for freezing ice cream and yogurt to accommodate our society’s cravings has added to the ease of making these treats. Suddenly, all sorts of varieties of ice creams are possible. I announced my intention to make ice cream on Facebook, and suddenly I was flooded with ideas from dozens of people. Not many real recipes, but ideas I’d never thought of, from bay leaf and dulce de leche to lemon curd and even bacon. Who knew so much was going on out there with ice creams?

Luckily, I have three interns this summer. That helps with the eating as well as with the ideas, and my husband agreed to the ice-cream-making, “just this once.”

Using a base of eggless vanilla ice cream, intern Allison Clark and I compiled half a dozen easy varieties. In order to experiment — and we suggest you do the same — we halved the completed base for the “plain” (unflavored) ice cream and then added ingredients to it as our fantasies dictated, allowing us to have two different ice cream flavors from one effort.

Nathalie Dupree, who lives in Charleston, is the author of eight cookbooks. She may be reached at nathalie.com.

A local Facebook reader, Renata Dos Santos, brought this by the house for the dairy and gluten conscious.

Dairy- and gluten-free ice cream

About 1 quart

1 cup sugar

1 cup coconut milk

1 3/4 cup cream of coconut

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons dark rum

Bring sugar and coconut milk to a boil in a pan, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved completely. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to make a light syrup.

Stir in cream of coconut, shredded coconut and lemon juice. Cool completely. Add rum and chill mixture thoroughly. Mix in a prepared ice cream churn or machine until thick.

This ice cream can be made into any number of other flavors. It was hard to choose our favorite from the ones below because we would make them all again if we could take the calories and it wouldn’t ruin my marriage. It is remarkable how much flavor and freshness the herbs add.

Allison’s plain ice cream

Makes 1 3/4 quarts

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/8 cups granulated sugar

3 cups heavy cream

Beat the milk and granulated sugar in a bowl 1 or 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream.

Pour the mixture into a prepared ice-cream churn or machine. Mix about 20-25 minutes, until thick. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.

Move to an airtight container and freeze about 2 hours to mellow and harden. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Variations — To one-half recipe plain ice cream, add the following when pouring into the ice cream maker:

For vanilla, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or to taste.

For chocolate and orange, add grated rind of 1 navel orange and 2 to 4 ounces of chopped chocolate.

For banana, the sugar can be changed to brown sugar if desired; add three very soft bananas, squished with fingers into small pieces; add ginger, chopped chocolate or herbs if desired.

For thyme or lemon balm, finely chop 1/3 cup and add to taste. Add chopped chocolate or other flavoring if desired.

The piece de resistance, however, was caramelized bacon ice cream, suggested by Julia Regner, a student at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, who will be my third intern this summer. Did we love this? Yes. Would we make it again? Yes. Would we make a butterscotch ice cream, without the bacon? Yes. In other words, it is a winner all around.

Julia’s caramelized bacon ice cream

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

6 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 slices caramelized bacon (see cook’s note), chopped finely

To make the ice cream, whisk egg yolks until well-blended. Set aside.

Pour cream into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice. Have a sieve ready to strain mixture into the bowl.

Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt. Stir until sugar completely melts. Slowly add milk, stirring to incorporate. It will foam up initially, so make sure you are using a pan with sides that are high enough. Heat until all of the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not let boil or the mixture may curdle.

Slowly pour half of the milk and sugar mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to incorporate. Then add warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with remaining milk and sugar mixture.

Stir mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats a metal spoon, about 5-7 minutes. The temperature should register about 180 degrees. Do not boil.

Pour custard through the sieve to catch any cooked eggs and stir it into the cream. Add vanilla and stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least an hour or overnight.

While the mixture is cooling, cook and drain off bacon.

Pour custard mixture into a prepared ice cream churn or machine until fairly soft. Add chopped bacon and continue to churn. Move to an airtight container and freeze at least 2 hours to mellow and harden.

Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes until easy to serve.

Cook’s note: To caramelize bacon, use 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar per 4 slices of bacon. (I usually make the whole package and eat the remainder myself, as the recipe needs only four slices.) Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread bacon slices on the foil. Pat the sugar onto the top of the bacon. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, checking midway. Continue baking until crisp and brown on the first side, but not burned. Remove from oven, turn and drag the bacon slices in the melted sugar and goo. Return to oven until crisp and brown on both sides, checking frequently, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not let burn.

My second intern for the summer, local high school graduate Hayley Daen, came up with this delicious recipe, which she adapted from the book “Apples for Jam.” I can only imagine this ice cream served with a Madeleine or a couple of lovely little cookies. But then that would be gilding the lily.

Hayley’s lemon curd ice cream

Makes 1 3/4 quarts

3/4 cup superfine sugar

4 egg yolks

3 tablespoons butter

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons, no white pith attached Juice of 3 lemons

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Whisk sugar and egg yolks together in a heavy, heat-proof bowl until the mix gets thickened and creamy. Set the bowl in a pot of simmering water, add butter and whisk until it melts into the eggs.

Add zest and juice and whisk until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 180 degrees. Do not boil.

Heat milk in a separate pot until bubbles form around the edges. Add milk to lemon curd mixture and whisk to combine. Move the bowl to the refrigerator and cool to room temperature or even overnight.

Once it has cooled, pour the mixture into the heavy cream. Pour custard into a prepared ice-cream churn or machine and churn for 20 minutes. Transfer to a container and allow to mellow and harden in the freezer about 2 hours. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

Read Full Entry

Ice Cream Sundaes Aren't Just for the Kids

This sophisticated sundae from Hannah Miles' "Sundaes and Splits" has serious adult appeal. It takes its inspiration from the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu.The mascarpone-based ice cream is rich and creamy, but not as sweet as most ice creams. The sponge cookies get a generous soaking of coffee and coffee liqueur, though you also could use chocolate liqueur.TIRAMISU SUNDAETraditional recipes for making ice cream call for chilling it in the freezer to firm it up after it comes out of the ice cream machine. But for this recipe, it is best to assemble the sundaes immediately after the ice cream comes out of the machine. This ensures it will be soft enough to work with.

Start to finish: 2 hours (time will vary depending on speed on ice cream machine)

Servings: 4

For the syrup:

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1/3 cup boiling water

1/4 cup coffee or chocolate liqueur (such as Tia Maria or creme de cacao)

For the mascarpone ice cream:

9 ounces mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

8 sponge finger cookies

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Cocoa powder, for dusting

In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee granules in the boiling water. Add the liqueur and set aside to cool.

To make the ice cream, in a medium bowl mix together the mascarpone cheese, creme fraiche and heavy cream. Stir in the powdered sugar. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

To assemble, break 4 of the sponge finger cookies into pieces and arrange some in the bottom of each of the sundae dishes. Drizzle with a little of the coffee liquid until moist. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over each, then dust with cocoa.

Place a spoonful of the mascarpone ice cream into each dish and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Arrange the remaining sponge fingers on top and drizzle over a little more of the coffee liquid. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips, add a further dusting of cocoa powder, then top with the remaining ice cream, again leveling the surface. Dust the top of each sundae liberally with cocoa powder and serve immediately.Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 724 calories; 575 calories from fat; 64 g fat (37 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 209 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber; 183 mg sodium.

Read Full Entry

Just chill with ice-creams

The association between Italians and ice-cream is the stuff of legend. Marco Polo is supposed to have brought the technique for freezing milk from China. (Nonsense! As is the claim that he took noodles to Italy where they became pasta). The Roman Emperor Nero is supposed to have invented ice-cream. (Not true though some accounts say that he liked pouring honey over snow). Even the French, who claim to have invented most things, defer to their neighbours when it comes to ice-cream. One story has it that Catherine de Medici brought ice-cream from Italy when she married the future French King Henri, in 1533.

All of these stories are made up and have little to do with the real invention of ice-cream which was a long and gradual process, involving Brits, Frenchmen, Americans and yes, Italians. But what is true is this: even today, Italian ice-cream has a distinctive character of its own and is significantly different from ice-cream in the rest of the world.

I was in Italy last week and was stunned by (a) how much ice-cream Italians eat – there was an ice-cream parlour at every street corner and (b) by how good nearly all of the ice-cream was.

As we all know, this is not true of ice-cream in the rest of the world. Until recently, English ice-cream was revolting and full of vegetable oil. Indian ice-cream can vary dramatically in quality and even the so-called home-made ice-creams made by many hotels and restaurants can be terrible.

When we talk of ice-cream, there are three basic criteria, only one of which is ever openly discussed by the ice-cream industry. That criterion is: natural flavour. By now, most of us have twigged that the Kwality vanilla ice-cream or the Joy strawberry ice-cream we grew up with had very little to do with real vanilla or real strawberry. In common, with much of the world, Indian ice-cream companies used synthetic flavours.

Then, the American ice-cream industry launched a back-to-nature campaign. It became illegal to call an ice-cream made with synthetic strawberry flavour ‘strawberry ice-cream.’ The manufacturer had to call it ‘strawberry-flavoured ice-cream’. As a consequence, manufacturers started opting for natural ingredients as consumers wisened up.

In India, the laws are not so strict but there are many artisanal manufacturers (such as Bombay’s Natural Ice-Cream) who use real ingredients (mainly chunks of fruit) as well as expensive international brands like Baskin-Robbins who have made natural ice-cream in America since 1953 and now make the same ice-cream all over the world.

In the process, we have learnt to value real (as distinct from synthetic) flavours and the industry is only too willing to brag about the authenticity of its ingredients. But there are two other criteria that you rarely see discussed. Yet, I would argue that they are more crucial to the taste of an ice-cream than the authenticity of flavours.

In the ice-cream business, flavours are to the product what toppings are to pizzas. You can put anything on a pizza: smoked salmon, white truffle, Beluga caviar even. But if the pizza itself sucks then the topping will make no difference. So the key to a good pizza is the base – how it is baked, the quality of the dough, the ratio of tomato to cheese etc. Everything else is window dressing.

So it is with ice-cream. If the basic ice-cream mixture is rubbish and if the churning is dodgy, then the finest strawberries in the world will not be able to salvage the ice-cream.

The criteria that really matter have to do first, with the mixture – its fat content. And then, with the churning – the amount of air in the ice-cream or what the trade calls over-run.

Fat content is easy enough to understand. When you put a spoon of ice-cream in your mouth, swirl it around before swallowing. If a thin milky taste stays in your mouth, then it is a low fat ice-cream. If your tongue feels creamy then it has a high fat content.

So-called home-made or gourmet ice-creams have high fat contents. The best ice-cream in India is made by Rohit Sangwan at the Taj Land’s End in Bombay. He uses cream and egg yolks to give it the required richness. Other gourmet ice-creams pride themselves on high fat content. For instance, Haagen-Dazs was launched in the Bronx in New York in 1959 as a company that made high fat-content, cream and egg-yolk ice-cream. Later it was bought by a conglomerate and is now an international brand.

In contrast, cheap ice-cream tends to have a low fat content. According to US law, ice-cream must have a 10 per cent fat content (8 per cent if it contains solid additions like fruit or chocolate chips). If the fat content is lower, the term ice-cream cannot be used and such names as ‘frozen dessert’ are employed.

We all know ‘frozen desserts’ – they are the cheap ice-creams with synthetic flavours that are sold all over India. Often, they are coloured artificially to look especially lurid or cast in funny-shaped moulds. Kids like them but adults find them thin and insubstantial. Hence the food industry’s unspoken rule: low fat content equals kiddie ice-cream while high fat content equals adult ice-cream.

In India, we suffer from a disadvantage because most chefs do not understand fat content or even, ice-cream. I have been to hotels where the so-called home-made ice-cream is thinner and far inferior to the Baskin-Robbins stuff they purchase from outside. And even chefs who brag about their ice-creams often confuse flavouring (real vanilla, high-priced liqueurs etc) with the quality of the ice-cream itself.

Which brings us to the criterion nobody outside the business ever talks about: over-run. Over-run is the ratio of air to ice-cream. All ice-cream must have some air, otherwise it would be rock-hard. But how much air is okay? According to US law, ice-cream can have an over-run of 100 per cent. This means it can be half ice-cream and half air. The cheapest ice-cream has a full 100 per cent over-run though some ice-creams can (in theory) have more.

Good quality ice-cream will have a lower over-run, which is to say, it will have less air. One of the intentions of the founder of Haagen-Dazs (an American called Reuben Mattus) was to keep over-run to a bare minimum. Baskin-Robbins will have a lower over-run than your average cheap ice-cream.

Though over-run is crucial to the taste of ice-cream, the industry goes to great lengths to hide over-run statistics: they are not normally listed on the packet. But here’s something to think about: why is ice-cream packed by volume and not by weight? The answer is because the weight of a pint of ice-cream can vary dramatically between brands depending on the over-run or the quantity of air they pack into each packet.

So why was Italian ice-cream so good? What did they do right? I found, first of all, that only the so-called artisanal ice-cream was very good. The mass produced stuff was dire. This had to do with ingredients. The artisanal stuff was made with milk. The industrial stuff was made with milk powder – you get ready-made gelato powders all over Italy.

Secondly, the artisanal gelatos tended to be made on the premises or in kitchens nearby so they were made with attention to detail and were not stored for days or transported over great distances. Moreover, the artisans used only natural ingredients.

The real differences however came in the other two criteria. The key to gelato is the over-run. Most gelato has an over-run of only 30 to 35 per cent which means that it is much denser than commercial ice-cream where the over-run can go to 100 per cent. That accounts for the difference in taste and mouth feel.

The density has one more advantage: you get a rich taste without fat. Gelato can have a fat content as low as four to five per cent. So the traditional rule of ice-cream – more fat equals more taste – is reversed.

I spoke to Vijay Arora who makes Gelato Vinto (winner of the HT Crystal Award for best ice-cream) about the difference between gelato and normal ice-cream. Vijay added one more factor. Normal ice-cream is served at minus 20 degree C so the first taste is extremely cold. Gelato is served at minus 14 degree C so it is not so cold and you can taste the flavour immediately. I discovered also that ice-cream with a high over-run melts quickly which is why kiddie ice-creams seem to dissolve in our hands whereas gelatos stay firm for much longer.

Vijay has had huge success with Gelato Vinto. In just five years, he has opened 35 outlets in North India and launched 300 flavours. He supplies to most top hotels and Italian restaurants in Delhi and makes his gelatos fresh every day. He has had the bright idea of selling gelato as a healthier ice-cream which I guess it is because of its lower fat content.

As for the other manufacturers, I am not sure how well they are faring. I buy Baskin-Robbins myself because it is easily the best widely available brand in India. I like the artisanal fruit ice-creams though I am not sure about the quality of the ice-cream itself (which often seems unstable.) And I gather through a blitz of really bad publicity, that Haagen-Dazs is now in India.But after that trip to Italy, I am a gelato convert. I like the density and the taste. And as Vijay says, it is the healthier option!

Read Full Entry

Ice Cream Cake Recipe - Easy Ice Cream Cake Recipe

If you're in the mood for an ice cream cake, but don't want to spend a lot of prep time in the kitchen, this recipe really takes the cake! You can substitute sherbet or sorbet for the ice cream for an nice variation.

1 (10-inch) angel food cake

1/2 gallon any flavor ice cream

Directions

Let ice cream sit on the counter awhile until it softens enough where you can spread it easily (do not let it melt).

Pull angel food cake into 2-inch chunks. Layer the cake chunks on the bottom of a 9-inch or 10-inch tube pan. With a large knife, spread a layer of the softened ice cream over the cake chunks. Add another layer of cake on top of the ice cream. Keep repeating the layers until you've used up all the cake and ice cream.

Put the cake into the freezer and freeze for 2 to three hours. Before serving, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving dish. Top with your favorite sundae sauce.

=> Ice Cream Cake Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe

A delicious and really easy to make ice cream sandwich dessert recipe. For a little variety, try caramel ice cream topping instead of, or in addition to, the chocolate topping. Additional garnishes - nuts, candy sprinkles and maraschino cherries

16 - 24 ice cream sandwiches

1 (16 oz.) container frozen whipped topping

1 (12 oz.) jar chocolate hot fudge topping

1 (1.5 oz.) chocolate candy bar, grated

Directions

In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, place half of the ice cream bars on the bottom of the dish, side by side. Spread half of the chocolate fudge on top of the ice cream bars. Spread half of the whipped topping on top of the fudge.

Place the remaining ice cream bars on top of the first layer and repeat with layers of chocolate fudge sauce and whipped topping. Sprinkle the grated chocolate on top.

Cover and freeze the cake for 1 hour. Keep the unused portion covered and frozen.

Read Full Entry

Amul's 1k new ice cream parlours to scorch market

Scoops of ice cream are lapped up in Gujarat all round the year; and as the summers hot up the indulgence knows no bounds. Well, Amul is set to heat up this market even more. Buoyed by the success of 300 ice cream parlours that provide bespoke ice cream preparations, it plans to add a whopping 1,000 parlours more in the country by the end of this year.

Already the market leader with 38 per cent share in branded ice cream market, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that markets brand Amul is set to expand its reach. A jingle in the future could well say “Amul ice cream khata hai India” .

“This summer, we are planning to promote our ice cream brands through Amul scooping parlours and Amul preferred outlets (APOs) across the country. We are adding 2,500 APOs and 1,000 scooping parlours,” GCMMF’s chief general manager RS Sodhi told TOI on Tuesday. Amul at present has a network of 4,500 APOs in the country while it has plans to create 10,000 APOs by 2012. “Simultaneously, we will be increasing our reach by adding 15,000 more retail outlets to our present network of 70,000 outlets by the end of this year.”

The branded ice cream market in the country is estimated to be 150 million litres per annum valued at Rs 1,200 crore.

Keeping in mind consumer lifestyle, the dairy major had launched its first scooping parlour in Mumbai a year and a half ago. “Amul is the only brand, which is present in any city or town that has over 50,000 population,” says Sodhi , adding that while many of Amul’s competitors have limited regional presence, the other national brands competing against Amul in the branded ice cream too have their presence limited to metros and top cities.

Amul is also to increase capacity of its existing plants to meet growing demands this summer. While it had manufacturing facilities at Gandhinagar , Palanpur, Anand and Vadodara in Gujarat, apart from Nagpur and metros like Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, this year it added another manufacturing facility at Puducherry.

This summer, the dairy major has already launched five flavours — mast melon, pineapple masti, nuts bout U, fruit fusion and royal butter scotch in party packs and cups even as it is set to add new flavours through limited edition offer.

Read Full Entry

Tips for Making Homemade Ice Cream

If you're making homemade ice cream for the first time, you'll want to follow these tips for smooth, creamy, delicious ice cream.

These homemade ice cream recipes are simple, making them ideal for first-time ice cream makers. Two Simple Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk

1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Combine all ingredients in food processor, and process until well blended. Pour into saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for five minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Pour mixture into ice cream canister, and process according to instructions.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need:

2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
¼ cup Dutch cocoa powder
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 cups heavy cream

Melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar until well combined. Slowly stir in evaporated milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, until cocoa and sugar have dissolved completely. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Stir in vanilla and cream. Pour mixture into ice cream maker canister, and process as instructed.

Five Tips for Perfect Homemade Ice Cream

1. Use premium ingredients.
This is not the place to cut corners. Use the best ingredients available, and you'll taste the rewards for your investment.

2. Mix the ice cream often while freezing.
If you are using an ice cream maker, you'll notice the ice cream is in constant motion while it is freezing. If you make your ice cream using the still-freeze method, you'll want to make sure you process the ice cream mixture well before you freeze it, and again at the specified intervals. Make sure you process it enough to get it all mixed up, but not so much that it actually thaws into milk like a shake.

3. Freeze in an airtight container.
Use an airtight container to keep the flavor in and to avoid absorbing flavors from the freezer.

4. Don't make more ice cream than what you can use in a few days.
Homemade ice cream gets harder and less creamy every time you refreeze it, so only make as much as you can use.

5. Process hard ice cream in a food processor instead of thawing.
Most homemade ice cream will freeze harder than the stuff you buy at the store because it has not been whipped with as much air. This can make it hard to scoop. Instead of thawing it on the corner and having some melt while some stays as hard as a rock, process it in the food processor just until soft enough to serve.

Read Full Entry

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Everyone should gave a great recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream in their repertoire. Here's mine, which you'll want to serve with anything from a freshly-baked pie or just covered with dark, bittersweet chocolate shop and toasted nuts.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

A pinch of salt

3/4 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean

5 egg yolks

2 cup heavy cream

A few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk with the tip of a paring knife. Add the bean pod to the milk.

2. Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream to continue steeping. Chill thoroughly, then remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Read Full Entry