(thing) by anthropod Sun Aug 04 2002 at 15:53:29

A wonderful frozen concoction that generally contains cream, milk, sugar, flavourings, and sometimes eggs. Commercial ice creams also contain a variety of stabilizers and emulsifiers to give a creamy texture, but the home cook doesn't have - and probably doesn't want - those ingredients on hand. So how can you achieve that wonderful texture and mouth feel at home? The best way is to incorporate either eggs or gelatine (agar for vegetarians) into your ice cream. I recommend doing the former if you have an ice cream maker and the latter if you don't.

Let's discuss the egg option first. In general, this method involves making a custard of egg yolks and dairy, cooling it, and then churning. As BlueDragon explains admirably above, the dairy portion needs to be fairly high in butterfat for the best results: I use half heavy cream and half whole milk; skim milk is too thin and watery, all cream too buttery. Sugar is also necessary for sweetness and to make the ice cream more scoopable (see BlueDragon again on this). And finally, the ice cream maker. There are several different types on the market, admirably described by Bookworm here, all providing the necessary churning action required to make a good ice cream.

But what if you haven't got an ice cream maker? All is not lost, my friends. I discovered, in the days before I picked one up cheap at a garage sale, that incorporating gelatine in the ice cream can give a good texture of ice cream with minimal churning. It's not as good as the first version, but it's pretty delicious, and easy to make.

How to make 1 quart (1-1/4 litres) of ice cream, custard method

You'll need:

  • 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
  • 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream (35% butterfat)
  • 3/4 cups (180 ml) sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, slit and seeds scraped out
  • 4 egg yolks
  • flavourings: 1/3 cup (80 ml) cocoa powder, or 4 oz melted and cooled chocolate, or 3 tblsp (45 ml) instant espresso, or 1-1/2 to 2 cups (360-480 ml) crushed fruit, or something else that strikes your fancy

What to do:

  1. Combine milk, cream, 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat over medium until steaming. (If you're adding espresso or melted chocolate, do it here.)
  2. While the dairy mixture is heating, beat egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar until thick and pale. An electric mixer is the easiest to use. If you turn off the beaters and lift them out of the yolks, the yolk should fall in thick ribbons. (If you're adding cocoa powder, do it here.)
  3. Temper the yolks by spooning out 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot dairy mixture and, stirring constantly, pour slowly into the egg yolks. (This heats up the yolks a bit so they don't cook when you add them to the hot dairy mixture.)
  4. Stirring constantly, pour the yolk mixture slowly into the dairy mixture and continue to cook, stirring all the while. Soon the custard will become noticeably thick; it should coat the back of a wooden spoon. (What does this mean, anyway? It means that the custard should leave an even film on the spoon when it's removed, such that if you run your finger across the coating on the spoon, it leaves a clear trail. If the coating runs into the trail, the mixture needs to be cooked more.)
  5. When the custard is nice and thick, remove it from the heat and let it come to room temperature. (It will form a skin, sadly.) Stir it, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then put it in the fridge for a few hours to get really cool. (This will help it churn better.) Remove the vanilla bean, and if you're adding fruit, do it here.
  6. Churn the ice cream in the ice cream maker till firm. It'll still be a bit soft; it's best to transfer it into a container and freeze it for a bit longer, till it's firm. It'll keep for up to a week, though I'd be pretty surprised if it was around that long.

How to make 1 quart (1-1/4 litres) of ice cream, gelatine method

You'll need:

  • 1-1/2 tblsp (25 ml) gelatine or agar
  • 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
  • 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream (35% butterfat)
  • 3/4 cups (180 ml) sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, slit and seeds scraped out
  • flavourings: 4 oz melted and cooled chocolate, or 3 tblsp (45 ml) instant espresso, or 1-1/2 to 2 cups (360-480 ml) crushed fruit, or anything else that strikes your fancy

What to do:

  1. Combine milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat over medium until steaming. (If you're adding espresso or chocolate, do it here.) Cool to room temperature.
  2. Sprinkle gelatine or agar over 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water in a small pot and let sit for five minutes. Stir, then heat over low heat, stirring frequently, till the gelatine dissolves completely. (Don't let it get too hot or it won't do its gelling magic.) Mix in to dairy mixture, and if you're adding fruit, do it here. Remove the vanilla bean.
  3. Pour the mixture into a wide metal bowl or tray and place in the freezer. When it's frozen around the edges but mushy in the centre, beat or whisk it till smooth. Repeat once or twice, returning to the freezer each time. Then just let it freeze till firm. Again, this stuff'll keep for up to a week, if you can make it last that long.
I like it! 1 C!