Recently my sister and I spent time in the kitchen working out the best possible homemade ice cream. Here you have my recommendations for fruit flavored, chocolate or vanilla ice cream. It's important to note that the recipe is only half of the equation for success. The equipment and technique is the other half.
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| Julian's Black Raspberry Ice Cream |
While we may all have fond memories of summer, with the family gathered around cranking the old ice cream machine, it's quite likely those memories are seen with rose-colored glasses. In reality the ice cream was usually too runny or grainy or both. And no doubt, we had tired, sore arms after the cranking.
Fact of the matter is you can purchase very good commercially made ice cream. But if you want a flavor not typically found in your grocer's freezer, then you can make your own. It's for this reason I rarely make chocolate or vanilla. I can buy those. So I favor fruits like berries or peaches for a great homemade ice cream. But this recipe will also make excellent vanilla and chocolate if you are so inclined.
Equipment: Today there are many options for making ice cream from an equipment standpoint. So let me start here, as that is half the key to success in homemade ice cream. The fact is, the quicker the custard freezes, the smoother the ice cream will be. Long freezing causes ice crystals to form making the ice cream taste gritty. For freezing to happen quickly, you need the right equipment operated in the correct fashion.
A good electric ice cream maker makes it easy to produce homemade ice cream. The churning process in one of these new counter-top machines takes only 15-20 minutes. If you were thinking of hand cranking, don't if you want good results. The electric machines come in two main styles: canister-style and self-refrigerating. The former has a removable canister that must be frozen before use. If it's the older wood-barrel type, the canister is simply metal. If it's a new better model, it comes with a double-walled coolant lined canister. Both types of canisters must be frozen before use. This means it is a one use per day activity at best, as it must be refrozen overnight (or even 2 nights) before a second use.
If you want to make volume, then a self-refrigerating machine is required, and they are much pricier. These come with built-in compressors that chill the canisters so there’s no need for long pre-freezing. No matter which you choose, a small volume canister (half gallon or less) is really best. There are some large (gallon and six quart) machines on the market. I don't recommend this no matter how much ice cream you want to make. It's nearly impossible to get them to freeze the custard fast enough for a creamy smooth result, and even if you do they are loud and messy.
Remember, no matter your need for volume or flavor, you are not making ice cream to serve the day it's made (or at least for a few hours). It must always be made in advance so it has time to ripen (harden) in the freezer. So you'll have to find something else to do for family entertainment on the day of your event.
Canister Style: The best electric canister style (non-self freezing) machine is the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker. It's inexpensive (under $60), easy to use and freezes fast. It only makes 1.5 quarts. They make larger, fancier versions as well, but the added features don't add much benefit so I wouldn't bother.
If you have an older-style wooden barrel machine with a non-insulated metal canister, you can still use it. These typically make 2 quarts (one-half gallon). But you must attend it constantly, as the ice will melt quickly and requires constant refilling with sprinkles of rock salt to keep it cold enough. We had success with this older machine which could freeze a half-gallon canister in under 30 minutes if the recipe below is followed and the machine is attended constantly. As the bucket was wood, it did leak a bit, despite soaking it in water first. So we did this in the kitchen sink. It is also quite loud. But it works.
If you have an older style machine with a plastic bucket, I would purchase the new Cuisinart and put this old thing out at the garage sale. No matter what we did with this unit, we could not make the plastic bucket (it was smaller than the wood bucket, although the canister was also 2 quarts) hold enough ice and keep the ice frozen to freeze the custard fast enough for a great result.
Self-Refrigerating: If you're going to make alot of ice cream, either in a single day or simply weekly, you'll need to invest the $350+ to get the Breville Smart Scoop. It too makes 1.5 quarts, and is really the only device that can not only continue to make ice cream batch after batch, but is also a completely hands-off experience once you add the prepared custard. Simply set it, and forget it, as they say. You can even tell the machine how hard you like your ice cream. (Note, a friend that has this machine reports excellent ice cream results but indicated that sorbet came out with some ice crystal formation. He also says he tried less expensive self-freezing machines and not one of the could provide a creamy, non-gritty, result for ice cream.)
Technique: We had success putting our ice cream rapidly into the freezer right in the metal canister on the older-style single layer buckets. However, we were equally successful scraping it into a pre-frozen metal baking pan which did speed up the hardening, making it available to eat sooner. If you have the new bucket with the double-walled gel-filled walls, you cannot leave the ice cream in the bucket for freezing as it will cling badly to the walls of the canister.
If using a canister-style ice-cream machine, be sure to freeze the empty canister at least 24-48 hours in advance. Longer is better. Even for self-refrigerating machines, pre-chill the canister by running the machine for 10 minutes before pouring in the custard.
Stabilizers: An ice cream stabilizer is simply an ingredient that improves the texture and consistency. Commercial operations frequently add guar gum, xanthan gum, or carageenan to make their ice cream more stable for storage and transportation. These also help prevent ice crystal formation. I don't recommend these for home use, although they are widely available. If you are going to eat the ice cream within 5 days or so, you really don't need these and why include processed items like this if you don't really need them. If you do use them, remember that overuse of stabilizers will give you a slick and gummy result, with a sticky texture on the tongue and a tacky finish. I use a little corn syrup instead.
Recipe Tips: Every ice cream machine comes with a recipe book. Further friends and family supplied theirs, all claiming they made great ice cream. After testing several, it became apparent that was not true. “French-style” ice cream, made with a custard base relying on egg yolks typically surpasses "Philadelphia-style" ice cream, made without eggs. In texture as well as flavor, the egg yolk version seems more rich and creamy. As for cream, an equal amount of heavy cream and whole milk worked best. Although I was convinced all heavy cream would be better, it was not. Also, temperature of the cooked custard is key. Cooking cream at too high a temperature (above 175-180F degrees) gave the cream a heavy 'cooked cream' taste that was clearly noticed by everyone who sampled it. It was edible, but it didn't taste right. It also sometimes resulted in curdling. An instant-read or candy thermometer is critical for the best results. Whatever you do, not rely on terms like 'until it coats the back of wooden spoon' or 'scald the milk'. Use a temperature reading instead.
Ingredients (custard base used for all flavorings)
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (or a vanilla bean)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons flavoring (vanilla, or fruit of you choice)
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, optional; for creamier texture
For Chocolate Ice Cream: 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate*
For Fruit/Berry Flavored Ice Cream: 2 pints (or about 3-4 cups) of fresh berries or ripe stone fruit**
* Chocolate Ice Cream Flavor: In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool. Add the melted chocolate at the end of step 2 and beat until fully combined.
** Fruit /Berry Flavor: At least 24 hours before you plan to make ice cream, prepare the fruit by cleaning and washing berries, or peeling, stoning and cutting up your fruit into small chunks. Place 1 1/2 pints of the berries in a sauce pan and add sugar. If making a fruit flavor like peach, cook all of them. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the fruit. Typically I use as little as possible, but always at least 1/4 cup. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring regularly until the fruit is cooked down.
*** Mocha - Coffee Brownie Flavor: Replace the vanilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons espresso powder. Add 1/2 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks and a 4-inch square brownie, cut into bite-sized pieces.
For berries place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour in the cooked fruit and its syrup. Using a rubber spatula, work the mixture through the strainer until only the solids are left behind. Stir the reserve whole uncooked berries into the mixture. Place a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Add the chilled compote at the end of step 2 and beat until fully combined.
For fruits, cook to your preferred doneness level. I like to keep peaches a little bit more firm than the berries I'm cooking into a sauce. Place the cooked fruit and its sauce in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Add the fruit compote at the end of step 2 and stir until fully combined.
Recipe for Philadelphia (non-egg) style ice-cream ripples can be found at this link. Strawberry or blueberry ripple is fantastic.
ICE CREAM INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare Chocolate, Mocha or Fruit flavors per above instructions a day before the below process. Refrigerate until completely cold, about 38F degrees.
Step 1: Place 8- or 9-inch-square metal baking pan in freezer. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise if using and scrape out vanilla seeds. (For the mocha version, add the espresso powder in place of the vanilla bean). Combine vanilla and/or bean, seeds, cream, milk, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, corn syrup, optional xanthan gum, and salt in medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is 173F degrees and not any hotter. Remove pan from heat.
Step 2: While cream mixture heats, whisk yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in bowl until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk 1 cup heated cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 178 degrees. Immediately pour custard into large bowl and let cool until no longer steaming, 10 to 20 minutes. If making chocolate or fruit flavors, add the chilled flavor now (without any solids) and stir until completely combined.
Step 3: Transfer 1 cup custard to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap. Place large bowl in refrigerator and small bowl in freezer and cool completely, overnight (up to 24 hours). The small bowl of custard will freeze solid.
Step 4: Remove custards from refrigerator and freezer. Scrape frozen custard from small bowl into large bowl of custard. Stir until frozen custard has fully dissolved. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer and transfer to ice-cream machine. Churn until mixture resembles thick soft-serve ice cream and registers about 21F degrees, 15 to 30 minutes. If using, stir in any solids like fruit pieces, chocolate chips or cookie/brownie chunks. Transfer ice cream to frozen metal baking pan and press plastic wrap on surface. Freeze for 2 hours.
Step 5: Transfer ice cream to airtight plastic container, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets, and freeze overnight. Ice cream can be stored for up to 5 days.
Fact of the matter is you can purchase very good commercially made ice cream. But if you want a flavor not typically found in your grocer's freezer, then you can make your own. It's for this reason I rarely make chocolate or vanilla. I can buy those. So I favor fruits like berries or peaches for a great homemade ice cream. But this recipe will also make excellent vanilla and chocolate if you are so inclined.
Equipment: Today there are many options for making ice cream from an equipment standpoint. So let me start here, as that is half the key to success in homemade ice cream. The fact is, the quicker the custard freezes, the smoother the ice cream will be. Long freezing causes ice crystals to form making the ice cream taste gritty. For freezing to happen quickly, you need the right equipment operated in the correct fashion.
A good electric ice cream maker makes it easy to produce homemade ice cream. The churning process in one of these new counter-top machines takes only 15-20 minutes. If you were thinking of hand cranking, don't if you want good results. The electric machines come in two main styles: canister-style and self-refrigerating. The former has a removable canister that must be frozen before use. If it's the older wood-barrel type, the canister is simply metal. If it's a new better model, it comes with a double-walled coolant lined canister. Both types of canisters must be frozen before use. This means it is a one use per day activity at best, as it must be refrozen overnight (or even 2 nights) before a second use.
If you want to make volume, then a self-refrigerating machine is required, and they are much pricier. These come with built-in compressors that chill the canisters so there’s no need for long pre-freezing. No matter which you choose, a small volume canister (half gallon or less) is really best. There are some large (gallon and six quart) machines on the market. I don't recommend this no matter how much ice cream you want to make. It's nearly impossible to get them to freeze the custard fast enough for a creamy smooth result, and even if you do they are loud and messy.
Remember, no matter your need for volume or flavor, you are not making ice cream to serve the day it's made (or at least for a few hours). It must always be made in advance so it has time to ripen (harden) in the freezer. So you'll have to find something else to do for family entertainment on the day of your event.
 |
| Machine Testing by my Sister |
If you have an older-style wooden barrel machine with a non-insulated metal canister, you can still use it. These typically make 2 quarts (one-half gallon). But you must attend it constantly, as the ice will melt quickly and requires constant refilling with sprinkles of rock salt to keep it cold enough. We had success with this older machine which could freeze a half-gallon canister in under 30 minutes if the recipe below is followed and the machine is attended constantly. As the bucket was wood, it did leak a bit, despite soaking it in water first. So we did this in the kitchen sink. It is also quite loud. But it works.
If you have an older style machine with a plastic bucket, I would purchase the new Cuisinart and put this old thing out at the garage sale. No matter what we did with this unit, we could not make the plastic bucket (it was smaller than the wood bucket, although the canister was also 2 quarts) hold enough ice and keep the ice frozen to freeze the custard fast enough for a great result.
Self-Refrigerating: If you're going to make alot of ice cream, either in a single day or simply weekly, you'll need to invest the $350+ to get the Breville Smart Scoop. It too makes 1.5 quarts, and is really the only device that can not only continue to make ice cream batch after batch, but is also a completely hands-off experience once you add the prepared custard. Simply set it, and forget it, as they say. You can even tell the machine how hard you like your ice cream. (Note, a friend that has this machine reports excellent ice cream results but indicated that sorbet came out with some ice crystal formation. He also says he tried less expensive self-freezing machines and not one of the could provide a creamy, non-gritty, result for ice cream.)
Technique: We had success putting our ice cream rapidly into the freezer right in the metal canister on the older-style single layer buckets. However, we were equally successful scraping it into a pre-frozen metal baking pan which did speed up the hardening, making it available to eat sooner. If you have the new bucket with the double-walled gel-filled walls, you cannot leave the ice cream in the bucket for freezing as it will cling badly to the walls of the canister.
If using a canister-style ice-cream machine, be sure to freeze the empty canister at least 24-48 hours in advance. Longer is better. Even for self-refrigerating machines, pre-chill the canister by running the machine for 10 minutes before pouring in the custard.
Stabilizers: An ice cream stabilizer is simply an ingredient that improves the texture and consistency. Commercial operations frequently add guar gum, xanthan gum, or carageenan to make their ice cream more stable for storage and transportation. These also help prevent ice crystal formation. I don't recommend these for home use, although they are widely available. If you are going to eat the ice cream within 5 days or so, you really don't need these and why include processed items like this if you don't really need them. If you do use them, remember that overuse of stabilizers will give you a slick and gummy result, with a sticky texture on the tongue and a tacky finish. I use a little corn syrup instead.
Recipe Tips: Every ice cream machine comes with a recipe book. Further friends and family supplied theirs, all claiming they made great ice cream. After testing several, it became apparent that was not true. “French-style” ice cream, made with a custard base relying on egg yolks typically surpasses "Philadelphia-style" ice cream, made without eggs. In texture as well as flavor, the egg yolk version seems more rich and creamy. As for cream, an equal amount of heavy cream and whole milk worked best. Although I was convinced all heavy cream would be better, it was not. Also, temperature of the cooked custard is key. Cooking cream at too high a temperature (above 175-180F degrees) gave the cream a heavy 'cooked cream' taste that was clearly noticed by everyone who sampled it. It was edible, but it didn't taste right. It also sometimes resulted in curdling. An instant-read or candy thermometer is critical for the best results. Whatever you do, not rely on terms like 'until it coats the back of wooden spoon' or 'scald the milk'. Use a temperature reading instead.
Ingredients (custard base used for all flavorings)
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (or a vanilla bean)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons flavoring (vanilla, or fruit of you choice)
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, optional; for creamier texture
For Chocolate Ice Cream: 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate*
For Fruit/Berry Flavored Ice Cream: 2 pints (or about 3-4 cups) of fresh berries or ripe stone fruit**
* Chocolate Ice Cream Flavor: In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool. Add the melted chocolate at the end of step 2 and beat until fully combined.
*** Mocha - Coffee Brownie Flavor: Replace the vanilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons espresso powder. Add 1/2 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks and a 4-inch square brownie, cut into bite-sized pieces.
For berries place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour in the cooked fruit and its syrup. Using a rubber spatula, work the mixture through the strainer until only the solids are left behind. Stir the reserve whole uncooked berries into the mixture. Place a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Add the chilled compote at the end of step 2 and beat until fully combined.
For fruits, cook to your preferred doneness level. I like to keep peaches a little bit more firm than the berries I'm cooking into a sauce. Place the cooked fruit and its sauce in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Add the fruit compote at the end of step 2 and stir until fully combined.
Recipe for Philadelphia (non-egg) style ice-cream ripples can be found at this link. Strawberry or blueberry ripple is fantastic.
ICE CREAM INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare Chocolate, Mocha or Fruit flavors per above instructions a day before the below process. Refrigerate until completely cold, about 38F degrees.
Step 1: Place 8- or 9-inch-square metal baking pan in freezer. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise if using and scrape out vanilla seeds. (For the mocha version, add the espresso powder in place of the vanilla bean). Combine vanilla and/or bean, seeds, cream, milk, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, corn syrup, optional xanthan gum, and salt in medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is 173F degrees and not any hotter. Remove pan from heat.
Step 2: While cream mixture heats, whisk yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in bowl until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk 1 cup heated cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 178 degrees. Immediately pour custard into large bowl and let cool until no longer steaming, 10 to 20 minutes. If making chocolate or fruit flavors, add the chilled flavor now (without any solids) and stir until completely combined.
Step 3: Transfer 1 cup custard to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap. Place large bowl in refrigerator and small bowl in freezer and cool completely, overnight (up to 24 hours). The small bowl of custard will freeze solid.
Step 4: Remove custards from refrigerator and freezer. Scrape frozen custard from small bowl into large bowl of custard. Stir until frozen custard has fully dissolved. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer and transfer to ice-cream machine. Churn until mixture resembles thick soft-serve ice cream and registers about 21F degrees, 15 to 30 minutes. If using, stir in any solids like fruit pieces, chocolate chips or cookie/brownie chunks. Transfer ice cream to frozen metal baking pan and press plastic wrap on surface. Freeze for 2 hours.
Step 5: Transfer ice cream to airtight plastic container, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets, and freeze overnight. Ice cream can be stored for up to 5 days.
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