I purchased a crank ice cream maker for Mrs. Bernse for a gift last year. Ever since then, we’ve been making a batch of Ice Cream about once every two weeks. Our usual batches are Mint Chocolate Chip and good 'ol Vanilla.
I noticed that some cream we had was just expiring so I thought I’d better make a batch. Unfortunately, Mrs. Bernse is out of town until Saturday. But, I thought this would be a good time to experiment as if it doesn’t turn out, I don’t look bad infront of the wife.
So, the experiment today was Coconut.
Oh. My. God.
I think I have a new favorite. After eating this stuff, I have no idea how I actually enjoyed any store bought ice cream.
Homemade ice cream isn’t good because it has no fluff? Erm… “Fluff” in ice cream is a result of using the finest room air they can find to pump into the mix - the trade term is “overrun.” The more air they can cram into the mix = the less actual ingredients they need to use.
And don’t get me started on locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carageenan, and all those other tongue-twisting and tastebud-tormenting items. What’s so horrible about milk, cream, sugar, egg and vanilla/strawberries/mango/peaches, etc.?
But, us home-freezers know that anyway.
Mango…the produce market at my front door has mangos…nice red/orange, soft and fragrant…so sweet… 'Scuse me, gotta get some more rock salt!
Every 4th of july we bust out our trusty ice cream maker and whip up some homemade ice cream. The best was when we decided to get some of those little toffee nuggets. That stuff was - i kid you not - orgasmic.
My dad used to occasionally make homemade ice cream when I grew up. Nothing fancy–just plain vanilla. I’ve often thought there was no way it could be as good as I remembered. Guess I’m wrong. Damn…I should see if he still has that ice cream maker lying around…
We registered for, and received, an ice cream maker for our wedding.
It’s a Cuisinart, with a gel-filled sealed freezing bowl and an electric motor. What this means, for those keeping score at home, is no cranking, no rock salt. Just take the bowl from the freezer and go.
We’re not lazy, mind you, but you can make more ice cream this way.
Try putting some (fresh) pineapple into that coconut when you make the ice cream next, **Bernse[/]. I had some pineapple-coconut ice cream earlier this summer and it was out of this world delicious!
Somehow, we’ve ended up with 3 ice cream freezers. We have two sizes which is nice because I can make different size batches that way. I’ve had good success with mint chocolate chip, oreo, and peanut butter cup, and plain vanilla of course.
The only store bought ice cream that I’ve had that compares to homemade in my opinion is Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip. The ingredients (I believe) are milk, cream, sugar, chocolate chips and real mint flavoring. Since it has no stabilizers you have to eat it faster like the homemade stuff and it is white, since it has no artificial coloring. It is very good considering it is mass-produced.
I love homemade icecream too! Does anyone have a recipe for black walnut? Could I just add black walnuts instead of pecans, to a butter pecan recipe? I do know, when adding nuts, to toast them lightly first. It makes them more flavorful, and they don’t get as squooshy in the ice cream.
You want to make quantities of ice cream easily, try one of these. No salt, no crank, no insert to freeze, ready to go on a moment’s notice. My brother, The Chef, bought one and has gone on an ice cream spree of unbelievable proportions. He’s got about eight different varieties in the freezer at any given time. Flavors like maple, toffee, and banana plus exotics like tamarillo. I love to visit.
I have one of those Cusinart machines myself but I don’t use it very often. Last thing I made was lemon basil pineapple ice I think. Pretty good stuff.
Baker, I would guess that would be OK, although I’ve never made butter pecan to know exactly how the homemade “butter” base would be.
One thing I’ve learned over the years, when making certain kinds of ice cream (especially Oreo), is to allow for the displacement the additions cause. It is easy to add enough amendments to the ice cream base to cause it to ooze out the top of the can while it is still turning. That isn’t good. My solutions are to not fill the can to the fill line to begin with, to use my larger freezer with a regular sized batch or to add the additions after the can stops turning but before I put it in the regular freezer to harden.
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