Cold comfort of homemade ice cream
The scoop of the summer: Homemade ice cream is easily wonderful
No question, the supermarket freezer case is chock-full of delicious ice cream. So why make your own?
“Homemade ice cream is one of the easiest yet smartest desserts to serve — ready to go when you want it,” noted Alex Barker, author of “500 Ice Creams, Sorbets & Gelatos” (Sellers Publishers, $16.95). “You know what’s in it — you can make one to suit any special diet and, of course, according to the weather, the season or your mood.”
Equipped with a basic electric ice cream maker (they cost $30 to $50), you can become the culinary artisan you always dreamed of being, producing sophisticated frozen treats that belie their ease of execution.
“It’s so simple to do, it’s almost to the point of ridiculous,” said Mary Rodgers, director of marketing communications for Cuisinart, which makes a variety of ice cream makers.
The only thing homemade ice cream requires is planning, because freezing is required for the machine’s canister (overnight), chilling is required for the base (a couple of hours), and the finished ice cream requires a stint in the freezer, too (a few hours).
A typical yield is only about a pint or two; those of us who can eat a half-gallon in one sitting appreciate the enforced calorie control. But homemade ice cream is just so good dolloped onto brownies and between cookies that its yield is easily extended.
This recipe is adapted from Barker’s book. It demonstrates the steps that most ice cream recipes require.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
Combine milk, sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan; warm the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Let mixture cool completely.
Put crunchy peanut butter into a large bowl; add the cooled milk mixture. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until incorporated; set aside.
Whip 2 cups whipping cream in a large bowl; fold the whipped cream into the milk-peanut butter base. Refrigerate mixture until thoroughly chilled.
Pour the base into the ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions; expect it to take about 30 to 45 minutes.
When the ice cream is almost firm, add chopped peanuts. Stir until incorporated.
Put the ice cream (it will still be relatively soft) in a freezer-safe container; freeze at least 2 hours. Let ice cream stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.
Frozen Finesse
• Make sure you thoroughly freeze the canister before you start churning. Also let the ice cream base chill thoroughly before churning.
“Colder bases freeze faster, which improves their texture,” writes pastry chef Emily Luchetti in her book, “A Passion for Ice Cream.”
• Don’t freeze your fresh-churned ice cream in the canister; place it in a freezer-safe container, says Cuisinart’s Mary Rodgers. Before serving, let ice cream soften on a counter 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors fully develop. If there’s time, do a taste-test before serving.
“If you don’t think your homemade ice cream has enough flavor,” Luchetti advises, “let it melt in the refrigerator, adjust the flavorings and refreeze.”
• Use the best ingredients, says author Alex Barker. And don’t use “unripe or not sufficiently ripe fruit,” Barker says. “You will never get the full, rich flavor required.”
This recipe for strawberry ice cream is adapted from a recipe from Alison Bower of Ruth & Phils Gourmet Ice Cream in Chicago. She also offered tips for those who want to experiment with “add-ins”:
• When you add candy bits or fruit, chopped cake or cookies, freeze the ingredients before adding to your ice cream as it’s churning.
• Let fruity bases macerate overnight in the fridge.
• Adding nuts to ice cream? Toast them first, she said.
Strawberry Ice Cream
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon honey
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping cream
1/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk powder
Place strawberries in a small saucepan; add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean (but not extract, if using), salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until hot (do not let mixture boil), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, removing the vanilla bean after 10 minutes. Combine 1/3 cup of the sugar and honey in a small bowl. Place the egg yolks in another small bowl.
Combine the whole milk, whipping cream and skim milk in a medium saucepan; whisk in the nonfat milk powder. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, just until warm. Whisk in the sugar-honey mixture. Whisk in the yolks. Cook, whisking often and scraping the sides of the pan, until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 167 degrees, about 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract, if using. Immediately strain mixture into an extra-large bowl; place over another bowl filled with ice water. Cool at least 15 minutes.
Puree reserved strawberry mixture with an electric blender or in a food processor; add puree to the ice cream base. Refrigerate mixture 4 hours or overnight. Transfer to an ice cream maker canister; process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream into a freezer-safe container; freeze at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 2 pints
Nutrition information per serving: 173 calories, 41 percent of calories from fat, 8g fat, 5g saturated fat, 78mg cholesterol, 21g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 138mg sodium, 1g fiber.
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