Nothing tastes better than a dish of refreshing, homemade ice cream during the dog days of summer. It’s a beloved tradition that satisfies children’s dreams of a special frozen treat. After all, everyone has those happy childhood memories of struggling to decide whether to choose chocolate or vanilla.
Ice cream may have originated in Europe, but it has a long history in America. The colonists initiated improvements to its taste and texture, and eventually it became as American as apple pie.
Countless ice cream flavors are sold today — Baskin Robins created more than 1,000. Members of the ice cream family include sherbet, frozen yogurt, sorbet, granita, ice and ice milk.
Churning ice cream at home provides the flexibility to make old favorites and create new flavors, using the best ingredients available. Only the freshest-quality cream, eggs, fruits and extracts will do. Nuts become rancid easily, so buy them fresh and store them in the freezer.
Homemade ice cream is an American holiday tradition, especially around the Fourth of July. There are two types to try at home: custard-style and Philadelphia-style.
French custard-based ice cream is rich, creamy and smooth, and resembles premium, commercial ice cream. The cooked custard is made with eggs, and it stays slightly softer after being frozen.
For Philadelphia-style ice cream, the ingredients are mixed together without cooking. Lighter and slightly less rich, it freezes firmer than custard ice cream.
Whichever you choose, the consistency of just-frozen ice cream will resemble soft-serve. You can firm it up and ripen the flavor by removing the dasher and storing the canister in the freezer for one to two hours. Or scoop ice cream out of the canister and store in a covered container.
Once you make the ice creams in this article, think up additional creative ways to serve them. Choose your favorites to produce fancy, molded, ice cream bombes, ice cream floats or sundaes. Or make an ice cream coupe — ice cream topped with fruit or a fruit sauce and whipped cream.
Classic Vanilla Ice Cream
The addition of a whole vanilla bean turns this frozen custard into the queen of ice creams! When removed from the pod, the tiny black seeds release a burst of deep vanilla flavor and perfume that are irresistible. Vanilla ice cream lends itself to unlimited flavor variations: experiment with additions like chopped or pureed fresh fruit, melted bittersweet chocolate, roasted nuts or tiny brownie cubes. For a festive, but easy Fourth of July dessert, top scoops of vanilla ice cream with a Blueberry Sauce (recipe included) and sliced red berries.
1 vanilla bean, slit in half lengthwise
2 cups whole milk
2 cups cold heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
With a small, sharp knife, slit vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds into a heavy, medium saucepan that contains milk and cream. Drop in vanilla bean. Heat mixture until bubbles form around edge of the pan. Remove from the heat; steep 35 to 40 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt until blended. Reheat milk mixture until hot; slowly pour about half into egg yolks, while whisking nonstop. Add egg-milk mixture to the pan with remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring nonstop, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Remove vanilla beans and add back to strained custard. Cool slightly. Chill vanilla custard in a covered container in the refrigerator 4 hours or overnight. To finish ice cream, remove vanilla beans and add vanilla extract. Freeze in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s directions. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Makes about 1-1/2 quarts.
Dark Fudge Swirl
Pour this rich, fudgy mixture into a canister of Classic Vanilla Ice Cream to create chocolate marbled ice cream. Or try it with coffee, caramel and pumpkin-flavored ice creams. The chocolate swirl mixture is so good, you’ll want to drizzle it over ice cream too. Tip: Prepare the fudge mixture first, allowing time for it to cool while the ice cream mixture is in the ice cream machine.
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons half-and-half (or half cream and half milk)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Stir cocoa powder, sugar, corn syrup and half-and-half together in a small saucepan until smooth. Over medium heat, stir mixture until it comes to a low boil. Simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in butter and vanilla. Cool completely. After freezing the ice cream, remove dasher from the canister. Insert a long-handled, wide spatula into the middle of the ice cream and pull it toward the side. Pour in the Dark Fudge Swirl. Use the spatula to cut the mixture through the ice cream.
Cover the canister with foil and ripen ice cream in the freezer 1 hour before serving. Alternately, you can scoop layers of ice cream into a freezer container, drizzling the fudge sauce between each layer; cover and freeze 1 hour.
Variation: Stir in 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or 1 teaspoon coffee extract.
Chocolate Almond Ice Cream
Chocolate tops nearly every list of favorite ice cream flavors. This version includes toasted almonds and almond extract, but for chocolate purists, they can be left out.
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped
In a medium saucepan, whisk cocoa and sugar together; add eggs, whisking until smooth. Slowly blend in milk. Heat mixture, whisking constantly, to 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C). Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Chill in a covered container 4 hours or overnight. To finish ice cream, stir in the cream and vanilla, then freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Five minutes before the ice cream is ready, remove the lid and sprinkle in the toasted almonds; continue freezing. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Makes about 2 quarts.
Carolina Peach-Pecan Ice Cream
South Carolina loves pecans and ripe peaches! This ambrosial ice cream isn’t overly sweet like some commercial brands, but if you want to make it sweeter, increase the suggested sugar amount to 1 cup. Add peachy texture by cutting an extra ripe peach into tiny pieces then mixing it in with the pecans. The pecans can be omitted.
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
About 2 cups fresh peach chunks, from 4 or 5 peeled, medium, ripe peaches
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped, roasted pecan halves
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and salt together until well blended. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of the pan. While whisking egg yolk mixture, slowly pour in about half of the hot milk, then pour mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring nonstop, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cool slightly; stir in vanilla and almond extracts, peaches and lemon juice. Chill peach custard in a covered container in the refrigerator 4 hours or overnight. To finish ice cream, stir in cream then freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Five minutes before the ice cream is ready, remove the lid and sprinkle in the pecan pieces; continue freezing. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Makes about 2 quarts.
Lemon-Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce
Who doesn’t love creamy cheesecake topped with Blueberry Sauce? Here is the ice cream version. Plain yogurt gives the ice cream a refreshing tangy flavor, but crème fraiche or sour cream can also be used.
1 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) bar cream cheese, softened
2 cups plain, whole or nonfat yogurt, preferable organic and European-style
2 cups heavy cream
Grated zest (outer rind) of 2 small lemons
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In a mixer, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. On low speed add the yogurt; mix until blended. With a whisk, blend in the heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Chill the ice cream mixture 4 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Recipe can be halved. Makes about 1-1/2 quarts.
Blueberry Sauce
Raspberries or strawberries are just as delicious used in this sauce.
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place blueberries, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until berries soften and sugar dissolves. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and cornstarch. Bring berries back to a boil; pour in all the cornstarch mixture. Cook about 1 minute to thicken. Cool and stir in vanilla. Serve warm. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Makes about 1-1/4 cups.
Brownie-Cheesecake Ice Cream
The cheesecake ice cream mix, without the brownies, can also be frozen into ice cream pops.
1 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) bar cream cheese, softened
2 cups crème fraiche or sour cream
2 cups heavy cream
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup 1/2-inch brownie cubes
In a mixer, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. On low speed add the sour cream; mix until blended. With a whisk, blend in the heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Chill the ice cream mixture 4 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Five minutes before the ice cream is frozen, add in the brownie cubes. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Recipe can be halved. Makes about 1-1/2 quarts.
Almond Gelato
Gelato is Italian ice cream. It is lower in butterfat than American ice cream, so less air gets whipped into the base when it is churned. Softer and more dense, gelato doesn’t taste as rich, but it is very refreshing with a fresh, vibrant flavor. The soft texture is best enjoyed immediately after freezing, so plan to serve it as soon as possible.
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch sea salt
2 cups whole milk
1 cup cold heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mascarpone, room temperature
2 to 3 tablespoons almond liqueur like Amaretto Disaronno, if desired
1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed amaretti cookies (optional) or slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt together until well blended. In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of the pan. While whisking egg yolk mixture, slowly pour in about half of the hot milk, then pour mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring nonstop, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in cream, almond and vanilla extracts, and then the mascarpone. Chill custard in a covered container in the refrigerator 4 hours or overnight. To finish gelato, stir in almond liqueur, if used. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Five minutes before the ice cream is ready, remove the lid and sprinkle in the crushed amaretti. Continue freezing. Remove gelato from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer. Makes about 1-1/2 quarts.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream with Walnut Cookie Crumble
This luscious summer ice cream comes with its own tasty crumble topping. Smooth, creamy European-style yogurt is also known as “stirred” yogurt. It is stirred to produce a creamy quality, and it is always thinner than other types of “set” yogurt.
8 to 10 ounces fresh pink rhubarb stalks (leaf ends discarded), sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries, blended in a food processor (slightly more than 1 cup puree)
1-1/4 cups plain, whole or nonfat yogurt, preferable organic and European-style
1-1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest (outer rind) of 1 small orange
Walnut Cookie Crumble (recipe included)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar and salt in an uncovered baking dish; cook 25 minutes or until fruit is tender and looses shape. Stir 1 or 2 times while cooking. Remove and cool completely. Stir well to break up any remaining pieces. When cool, rhubarb and sugar form a thickened sauce. In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberry puree and remaining ingredients. Taste the mixture and add the reserved 1/4 cup sugar, if desired. Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer.
Walnut Cookie Crumble
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 packed cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oatmeal
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and cinnamon. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work butter into the mixture until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Spread mixture over the central area of a baking pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crisp and light golden brown. Cool completely. Break up any large pieces. Spoon some cookie crumble over each serving of ice cream. Makes 2 cups.
Pear-Ginger Sorbet
Here is a quick trick for making a summer treat from canned fruit. The novel idea requires little effort, few ingredients and only a food processor. The fruit is frozen in the unopened packing can, then whirled in the food processor to create a soft-frozen fruit sorbet. Canned fruits in heavy syrup create the best texture for a sorbet. Fruits packed in light syrup and fruit juice work equally well, but the texture will be more like a granita.
1 (16-ounce) can pears in syrup, unopened
2 tablespoons pear liqueur, (Pear William or Perle de Brillet), pear nectar or orange juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Fresh mint sprigs
Place the can in the freezer 12 to 18 hours or until frozen. Place unopened can under hot water a few seconds. Open the bottom of the can and remove the frozen fruit and juice. Cut into chunks then add to a food processor work bowl with the steel blade in place. Add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Scoop sorbet into stemmed glass. Garnish with mint; serve at once. Sorbet can be scooped into a freezer container and frozen for later use.
Variation: Cherry Sorbet
1(15-ounce) can dark, sweet-pitted cherries, unopened tablespoons Madeira, kirsch, Port wine, or cranberry-cherry juice
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Freeze canned cherries 12 to 18 hours then prepare as directed above.
Orange Sorbet
French-style sorbets are made with fresh fruit juices and even fruit pulp. For best results, use the freshest, most flavorful fruits available. Freeze sorbet in an ice cream machine for the best texture, or you can use a simple freezer method that involves scraping the mixture periodically with a fork. For a smoother sorbet, break the frozen mixture into small pieces and process in a food processor; refreeze until firm. To enhance the flavor, stir in a tablespoon Grand Mariner or some orange flower water.
2-1/2 cup fresh-squeezed, flavorful orange juice or blood orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest (outer rind) of 1 orange
Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Continue stirring mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a container and chill at least 4 hours. Freeze mixture in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s directions. For the freezer method, pour juice mixture into a 9-inch square pan or undivided ice cube trays. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze about 2 hours or until ice crystals begin to form. Use a fork and scrape the mixture, especially around the sides, to resemble finely shaved ice. Cover and freeze another hour then scrape again. Scrape at least 2 more times. Serve sorbet, or keep frozen until serving time.
Coconut-Avocado Frozen Yogurt
You may prefer to use all coconut yogurt for this recipe, or all plain Greek yogurt. Plain yogurt allows more of the delicate avocado flavor to shine through.
1 (15-ounce) can cold unsweetened light coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup regular or non fat coconut-flavored yogurt like Liberté
1 cup plain regular or nonfat Greek yogurt
Grated zest (outer rind) of 1 lime or lemon
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice or lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 large medium-firm, ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, cut in chunks
Whisk together coconut milk, orange juice, sugar, both types of yogurts, lime zest, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Put the avocado chunks in a food processor work bowl fitted with the steel blade. Pour in about half the coconut milk mixture; process until mixture is smooth and turns pale green. Add avocado mixture back to the remaining coconut milk; whisk until blended. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions. Remove ice cream from the canister and serve at once, or store in a covered container in the freezer.
Ice Cream Making Tips:
· Custard Ice Cream: The USDA recommends heating eggs to 160 degrees (71.1 degrees C) to destroy any harmful bacteria that might be present. Don’t heat stirred custard past 180 degrees (82.2 degrees C) or it will curdle creating pieces of scrambled egg. An instant-read thermometer is an indispensible kitchen tool for testing custards with eggs.
· To help insulate a delicate custard base from direct heat, prepare it in a double boiler or set the saucepan on a flame tamer placed over a burner. Don’t allow custard to overcook or boil, or it will curdle.
· Refrigerate custard 4 hours to overnight before churning to develop the flavor and to expedite freezing. Chilling can be hastened by placing the bowl of custard into an ice-filled water bath; stir often. Blend remaining ingredients into chilled custard and freeze.
· If adding raw egg to uncooked ice cream mix, it’s recommended to use pasteurized eggs.
· Heavy cream (about 36 percent butterfat) is interchangeable with lower-fat whipping cream.
· If ice cream becomes too hard to scoop, refrigerate about 15 minutes to soften or put the container onto the counter 10 minutes.
· You can add up to 3 tablespoons alcohol per quart of ice cream base to help keep it soft since alcohol doesn’t freeze. Neutral-flavored vodka works well, or a flavorful spirit like rum, eau de vie or a liqueur.
· One quart frozen ice cream feeds six to eight people. With no stabilizers, homemade ice cream has a shorter shelf life than the commercial kind. Two weeks is as long as you should hold ice cream, and for the best quality, serve it a week sooner. Wrap ice cream carefully to help prevent the formation of ice crystals.
· Ice cream can also be ripened in brine in the ice cream bucket. Remove the dasher from the canister and cover ice cream with parchment paper. Add lid back; cover tightly with foil. Pour off most of the water from the bucket. Add the canister back to the bucket; fill with ice and salt. Insulate the top with newspapers or kitchen towels.
Which Ice Cream Machine Is Best?
Picking the right ice cream machine is nearly as difficult as choosing your favorite flavor. But there are numerous options for every budget.
The old-fashioned, hand-cranked ice cream freezer is still popular and uses crushed ice and rock salt. These make 4 to 6 quarts of ice cream.
If you don’t mind hand-cranking, try the newer, portable Donvier Ice Cream Maker, invented by a Japanese company. It features a double-insulated freezer bowl insert that must be frozen 24 hours before use. No ice, salt or electricity — just intermittent hand-cranking. Makes 1 to 2 quarts ice cream. Kids love to hand-crank, especially since they only turn the crank every few minutes. Several electric Donvier-style ice cream makers are also available.
An electric ice cream machine by Waring conveniently uses regular freezer ice and ordinary table salt. A Cuisinart model has two canisters to freeze two favors at the same time.
At the other end of the spectrum, commercial-style ice cream machines have a built-in compressor freezer eliminating the need for a pre-frozen bowl, salt or ice. Just press a button to make batch-after-batch. They are well worth the price and a boon for ice cream aficionados. Whichever you choose, all give good results.
No Ice Cream Machine?
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can still make ice cream. Chill the ice cream mix in an ice bath then pour it into a metal baking pan or several undivided ice cube trays. Store in the freezer. After one hour, remove ice cream and beat it hard with a small whisk or fork to break up ice crystals. Freeze again and check after 30 minutes. Continue beating and checking ice cream three or four more times. A hand-held mixer is useful; scrape ice cream into a large bowl and beat well then refreeze. The ice cream will be ready to serve after about three hours. The more often you beat the ice cream, the smoother it will become. Serve after the final beating or freeze in an airtight container.
