Everyone screams for homemade ice cream
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, June 29, 2004
If there’s a better summertime Epicurean feast than fresh homemade ice cream, no kid could tell you what it is – unless it’s more ice cream.
The rhythmic smoosh-a-smoosh of the ice cream paddle, swirling through the rich creamy mixture is music to the ears of kids of all ages. And turning the crank is the one of the few tasks in life that kids do voluntarily, happily even, in exchange for the paddle, still gooey and gloppy with the frosty mixture, when the job’s complete.
My own ice cream memories began with Leonard Trevithick’s awesome strawberry ice cream in my home town of Burlingame, Calif. Reflecting on those Sunday afternoon barbecues, with Len lining up the labor – “OK, you kids, who’s next on the crank?” – still produces a smile. And man, was that strawberry ice cream awesome.
Homemade ice cream is one bit of decadence in which practically everybody can indulge with good conscience. Since you control the ingredients, you can be sure your ice cream is made with the freshest of fresh ingredients. You won’t add the chemical emulsifiers, stabilizers and artificial flavors found in most commercial products.
But who really needs to rationalize a passion for homemade ice cream? All you need are a few guidelines, some tasty recipes and a lazy summer afternoon to crank up the ice cream freezer.
First the basics. Since the ice cream maker was developed for home use in the early 1900s, ice cream lovers haven’t stopped fiddling with the formula, searching for the ultimate frozen dessert. But the main ingredients haven’t changed – a magical blend of milk and cream, sugar, flavoring, air and sometimes eggs.
Eggs come into play if you start with a cooked custard base, which is my preference. For my taste, it produces the creamiest results. And yet, Len’s classic strawberry ice cream that I grew up on is much less complex, so you’ll find a variety of recipes below.
Although an ice cream maker is not essential, it really makes a superior product. For the hard-core purists, the old-fashioned hand-crank models are still available. But if there are no able-bodied and willing young arms around for such manual labor, electric powered models may be for you (see accompanying story).
Of course, you can make frozen desserts without an ice cream maker, but ice cream should be smooth, not grainy. Unless your mixture is steadily churned by an ice cream paddle, this is difficult to achieve.
To allow for expansion, don’t fill the freezer container more than three-fourths full of ice cream mixture. Some of the new electric models don’t want the bowl filled more than half full. Be sure to have a backup of twice as much ice as the bucket will hold to replace melting ice during the churning process.
At first, if you’re cranking by hand, turn slowly until you begin to feel resistance. Then crank faster. Once turning the crank becomes a real burden, the mixture is reaching its proper consistency. This is the time to add fruit chunks, chocolate chips or any other ingredients you want to be evenly mixed throughout the ice cream.
The next step is agonizing: putting aside the ice cream to ripen. If you can bear to do this, you’ll end up with a much firmer product.
To ripen the mixture, pour off the salt water, then carefully wipe down the lid before lifting it off. Scrape the dasher with a rubber spatula, and tamp down the ice cream. After putting a double layer of foil over the top of the container for a tight seal, replace the lid. Pack a fresh supply of ice and rock salt around the container, and wait an hour.
Some of these recipes take advantage of summer’s wonderful fruits. If you decide to improvise a little, keep in mind that flavors are less intense when chilled. Don’t be too cautious; if you’re waffling between two or three cups of fruit, for example, try three.
As for the lazy afternoons, we’ll leave that part up to you.
* n n
Len’s wife, Mary, says that they obtained this recipe from Sarah Quinn about 40 years ago. Sarah had clipped it out of a magazine. So maybe you know it.
As Mary says, “It’s embarrassingly simple to make.” But that doesn’t make it less delicious, believe me. By the way, as berry season progresses, the same recipe will work just as wonderful with them all.
Leonard Trevithick’s awesome strawberry ice cream
11/2cups crushed strawberries (well crushed)
2tablespoons lemon juice
1/4cup sugar
X\ccup sweetened condensed milk (the Trevithicks use Eaglebrand)
1/2cup water
1cup half-and-half or heavy cream
Z\,teaspoon salt
Combine the berries, juice and sugar in a medium-size bowl; set aside, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. In another bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, water, half &half and salt. Stir the berry mixture into the cream mixture, then freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
Makes 1.5 quarts.
Classic vanilla ice cream with variations
14-inch piece of vanilla bean or 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1cup whole milk
X\ccup granulated sugar
2cups heavy cream
1large egg plus 2 egg yolks
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scraping both sides with a paring knife. Reserve both the pod and the scrapings. Combine milk, Z\c cup of the sugar, the heavy cream and the reserved vanilla pod and scrapings in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. (If using vanilla extract, do not add it now.) Bring mixture to 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine the whole egg and egg yolks with the remaining Z\c cup sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer or whisk by hand until pale yellow and thick, about 2 minutes with a mixer or 4 minutes by hand.
Remove 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture from the saucepan and add slowly to the beaten egg yolks while whisking vigorously. Whisk this mixture back into the saucepan. Over low heat, cook and stir mixture until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (but do not let it boil), and reaches 170 to 180 degrees on a thermometer. Remember, the custard should be the thickness of heavy cream but should not boil or bubble, because that will cause it to curdle
Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl sitting in an ice bath. Remove the vanilla pod (if using) from the strainer and add to the custard. Cool, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn’t form. When the custard has cooled for about 20 minutes, remove from the ice bath (if using vanilla extract, stir it into the custard now) Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming during its remaining time in the refrigerator, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours, but up to 48 hours is OK.
When ready to freeze the custard, remove and discard the vanilla pod (if using), pour into freezer container and follow manufacturer’s directions.
Chocolate chip variation: Add 3 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips) about 1 minute before churning is completed.
Oreo cookie variation: Add 1 cup coarsely crumbled Oreo cookies about 1 minute before churning is completed.
Chocolate variation: Increase sugar to 1 cup, adding 3/4 cup to the milk mixture and the balance to the eggs. Beat Z\c cup unsweetened cocoa powder into the whipped egg mixture.
Coffee Variation: Stir 3 tablespoons of instant coffee or espresso powder into the milk mixture before heating.
Makes about 1 quart.
Adapted from “The Dessert Bible,” by Christopher Kimball
Marionberry ice cream
1pint fresh Marionberries (or other cane berries, such as blackberries, raspberries or loganberries)
1/2teaspoon lemon juice
1cup granulated sugar
1tablespoon Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur)
11/4cups whole milk
1cup heavy cream
4large egg yolks
1teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine the fruit with the lemon juice and Z\c cup of the sugar. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and a syrupy liquid forms in the bowl. Add the Grand Marnier and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until the berries have absorbed the liquid and are soft and cold.
Heat milk, cream, and Z\c cup of the sugar in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steam appears; remove from heat.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining Z\c cup sugar in a medium bowl until just combined. Whisk half of the warmed milk into the beaten yolks until just blended (this is called “tempering” the eggs; if you add the eggs to the warm milk they’ll just curdle and cook).
Return this mixture to the saucepan containing the rest of the milk. Over medium-low heat, stir mixture constantly until it just begins to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon (it will read 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Do not let the mixture boil or the egg yolks will probably curdle. Remove from heat and set aside.
Position a fine sieve over a medium bowl that has been set in an ice water bath. Pour the custard through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla. Cool the custard mixture to room temperature in the ice bath, stirring occasionally to keep a skin from forming on top, then cover with a layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold – at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.
When ready to freeze the ice cream, strain the liquid from the chilled berries. Puree half the berries in a blender or food processor. Add the puree to the chilled custard and pour into an ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, about 25 to 30 minutes, add the remaining berries and allow to mix about 5 more minutes, or until slightly firmer. For firmer ice cream, remove the paddle, cover tightly and freeze until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
Makes about 1 quart.
Adapted from “The Dessert Bible,” by Christopher Kimball
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
