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Everything You Need to Know About Making Ice Cream

Today we bring you a special post once again from Lauren Hill.  We enjoyed her previous article here on Superbowl Tailgating,  and today she is going to tell us everything you need to know about making ice cream.  Yay! What a great way to get ready for our “Sweet Treats Party” this Friday at Foodie Friends Friday!!

Ice Cream!

Make this summer more fun by making homemade ice cream.  Making ice cream at home is easier than you might think.  Whereas allowing toddlers around hot stoves might not seem like a great idea, making homemade ice cream is an activity the entire family can enjoy.  Ice cream recipes range from simple ones that your preschooler can understand to complex, custard-based gelatos that will wow everyone at your summer barbeques.  Plus, homemade ice cream tastes better and is typically cheaper than buying ice cream at the store.  

Ice cream makers 101

Automatic ice cream makers are easy-to-use and affordable kitchen gadgets.  Old-fashioned ice cream makers that require an hour of manual churning can be fun every once and a while.  However, new automatic ice cream makers can “churn” nothing to ice cream in as little as 20 minutes.  Remember the following things, as homemade ice cream is difficult to mess up.

  • Turn on the machine before you put the ice cream mixture in to avoid it sticking to the sides

  • Never fill up the machine to the top as the ice cream mixture will get larger as it freezes

  • Make sure that any fun additions such as nuts, fruit, or candies are chopped smaller than the size of a chocolate chip

  • Add any additions about 3-5 minutes before the ice cream is done

  • Transfer all ice cream to an airtight storage container when done

Now that you have the basics down, you can see how easy it is to make the perfect homemade ice cream for any occasion.

 

Basic ice cream recipe

2 cups cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  •  Whisk all ingredients in a mixing bowl until the sugar is dissolved.  Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  For firmer ice cream, put the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for a few hours.
  • Mix it up

One of the easiest ways to make flavored ice cream is to use a different flavored extract and some food coloring.  For more fresh and bold flavors, steep the milk, cream, and sugar mixture in a fresh ingredient such as strawberries that have gone through a food processor or fresh mint and chill for an hour or overnight.  When making chocolate ice cream, keep in mind that you might need to adjust the sugar to taste if you are using semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate power for baking.

How to make ice cream even creamier

Creamier ice cream often requires that you make a custard base with egg yolks instead of simply whisking a few ingredients together.  Below is a recipe for a creamy custard-style vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup white sugar, divided

1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

5 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

  • In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream, ½ cup of the sugar, and the vanilla seeds.  Set over medium-low heat until the mixture just begins to boil.  Be careful not to let the mixture boil fully.
  •  Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl until they are pale and thick.  Slowly add the egg mixture into the saucepan with a whisk and then a spoon as the mixture thickens.  If the mixture boils, the eggs will overcook.  
  •  Run the mixture through a sieve and refrigerate in an airtight container for an hour or overnight.  Freeze the mixture according to manufacturer instructions.  

 

Icy sorbets

Most sorbets are made by adding a fruit purée or other flavoring such as coconut milk to a simple syrup.  To make a simple syrup, add one part sugar to one part water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Classic sorbet is icy, refreshing, low-fat, and dairy-free.  Below is an easy way to make a raspberry sorbet:

Ingredients:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

4 cups frozen raspberries, thawed

  •  Make a simple syrup (see above). Add the simple syrup to the raspberries and blend until smooth.  Use a spoon to put the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the larger raspberry seeds.  Refrigerate for an hour or overnight and freeze to the manufacturer’s instructions.  

 

Ice cream can be more than a simple treat

Making homemade ice cream is a great idea for the casual cook and the at-home chef alike.  Bring something no one else will bring to summer potlucks, make your niece’s birthday party extra special, or wow your dinner guests with restaurant-quality desserts. 

 

Check out some of the ice cream recipes at Busy Vegetarian Mom using the

Soft Serve Hamilton Beach Ice Cream Maker

(Amazon Affiliate Link)

[amazon_image id=”B003R4NE5E” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Hamilton Beach Half Pint Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker[/amazon_image]

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream

Caramel Soy Ice Cream

 

About the Author:  Lauren Hill is a wife, Mom and contributing author for Hamilton Beach. She finds great joy in educating others on the simpler things in life like cooking, gardening and keep your family healthy.

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Tracy Iseminger

Tracy is a busy mother to 2 girls, 3 dogs, 5 cats, and 17 chickens! Her adventures in cooking led her to create Daily Dish Magazine. She has a passion for pairing food with travel and wine. She is Marketing Director at Crimson Vine Marketing, Social Media Specialist at Cougar Digital Marketing, and a Dental Hygienist in her spare time... but her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family.

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1 Comment

  1. Thanks for this great overview of making ice cream – I have been toying around with the idea of getting an electric ice cream maker and now I definitely want to! Have a great week!

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