Ice Cream

[Lippy]

I may not be Wingding, but I did pretty well this afternoon. For reasons having to do with a confusion between 1 1/2 cups and 1 1/2 pints I found myself with a pint of Butterworks Farm cream to use up. I combined it with 1 1/2 large bananas, some superfine sugar, a splash of dark rum and a splish of vanilla extract, mixed it all up in the bender until the banana was thoroughly incorporated and gave it a spin in the Donvier. Oh boy.

 

Do you make ice cream? What and how? Any other frozen desserts?

[bloviatrix]

I have one of the Cuisinart ice cream makers. When I bought it Blovie was convinced that it was going to gather dust, but I use it all the time - even in the winter.

 

I primarily make sorbet and always keep a supply of sugar syrup in the fridge for this reason. Last week's flavor was apricot basil. And I'm thinking that this week I'll make blueberry thyme. Claudia Flemming has recipes for banana sorbet and concord grape sorbet in her book that are both outstanding. Haven't made ice cream yet this year - every time I buy a quart of cream I seem to find other uses for it.

 

This is one of the few pieces of kitchen equipment my husband actually uses - he makes frozen cokes in it. One lesson we learned is it only works with regular soda - diet doesn't freeze up.

[Jaymes]

I've made the sorts of things where you freeze it in icecube trays and then stir it around and refreeze, etc.

 

And of course, the old crank-type ice cream freezers.

 

But I'm now in the market for a new, handy space-age model. Which ones do y'all recommend? Want something easy to use, and not too large. Are they all pretty much alike, or are there marked differences?

 

Advice?

[Cathy]

 

This is one of the few pieces of kitchen equipment my husband actually uses - he makes frozen cokes in it. 

Frozen Cokes! That would tickle my husband too...I'll have to try it. Thanks for the idea, B.

 

I got a Cuisinart last summer to make Concord grape sorbet (Claudia's recipe) - but I haven't used it much since, partly because I have to reorganize the freezer to make room for the bowl. If you have the freezer space, Jaymes, this one works well and is not expensive (about $60, I think).

 

Lippy, your banana/rum ice cream sounds divine.

[Jon Tseng]

Been making granitas recent as I seem to have lost the paddle of my ice-cream machine, annoyingly

 

Actually I think granitas much better - crunchy/icy texture has more more variation than smooth boring ice-cream and sorbey!

 

Lychee and rosewater with streaks of raspberry coulis is a must!

 

cheers

 

J

[guajolote]

If you have the freezer space, Jaymes, this one works well and is not expensive (about $60, I think).

 

$50 on amazon

 

i use mine all the time too. it's a good activity to do with your kids. i usually make a custardy ice cream with lots of egg yolks in it (i use bittman's recipe in how to cook everything as a starting point.) some of my favoreite flavors have been papaya, cinnamon, and starberry-vanilla.

[TheMatt]

I use the Panasonic BH-941P. It's great for one or two people, but not more since it is small. Unlike many ice cream makers, it does not have a bowl you pre-freeze. Rather, you mix the ingredients, pour them in the maker, set the whole thing in the freezer, and let it spin away. For people like me, who like homemade ice cream, but don't have the freezer space to keep one of those sleeves in the freezer at all times, it's nice. And it works! Not fast, mind you. It's usually 3+ hours, but I usually make ice cream on weekends, so there isn't a need to rush.

 

I've made a few different recipes with it. Since I'm lazy, I don't do a custard usually. But, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream and some vanilla make a fine base. I then add chopped chocolate or the like. I also made some sherbet recently with a recipe from my "Colorado Cache" book. I think it was 1 cup cream, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and some orange peel...I think. I could get the recipe at home.

[bilrus]

For the 4th I made a sorbet with some beautiful fresh blackberries and a white chocolate ice cream (was supposed to be white chocolate mint, but couldn't find fresh mint on short notice).

 

I like my sorbets tart and amy ice creams chewy.

[Lippy]

Lippy, your banana/rum ice cream sounds divine.

The quality of the cream makes all the difference when making a simple Philadelphia-style ice cream rather than one with a custard base that derives its richness and mouthfeel from the egg yolks.

[Cathy]

Where do you buy the Butterworks cream? I'm so over Ronnybrook.

 

I bet the Tonjes Farms buttermilk would make a wonderful ice cream...

[g.johnson]

We have a very basic motorized counter top ice cream maker. It works remarkably well though you have to pack it with ice and a lot of salt.

[Lippy]

Commodities, First Ave. near 10th Street, has it. I don't know who else carries it. It's not at Fairway? It blows Ronnybrook away. Ronnybrook's milk is from Holstein cows; Butterworks is from Jerseys. Ronnybrook is like plain milk compared to Butterworks.

[Lippy]

Commodities, First Ave. near 10th Street, has it. I don't know who else carries it. It's not at Fairway? It blows Ronnybrook away. Ronnybrook's milk is from Holstein cows; Butterworks is from Jerseys. Ronnybrook is like plain milk compared to Butterworks.

[Cathy]

I've never seen it at Fairway. Other than Ronnybrook, all they carry is the soulless ultra-pasteurized stuff.

[Lippy]

It's not the soullessness I object to, it's the tastelessness. That, and the thinness. It's supposed to be cream.