Home Made Ice Cream (2002–2012)

[sugarseattle]

I am sure you can lightly melt it and then transfer it to the ice cream maker. I think the recipe is probably very rich with a high percentage of chocolate, which at cold temperatures is of course solid. I am sure you will be able to convince your "custard" to become ice cream, although, as you say, it will be quite rich.

[wannabechef]

I am sure you can lightly melt it and then transfer it to the ice cream maker. I think the recipe is probably very rich with a high percentage of chocolate, which at cold temperatures is of course solid. I am sure you will be able to convince your "custard" to become ice cream, although, as you say, it will be quite rich.

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Thanks. I think I managed to save it but we'll see when it's completely frozen. After sitting out for about 3 hours it became much softer, but I still thought it was too thick to freeze in the machine. I wanted to try and thin it out a bit but wasn't sure what would happen if I added additional milk or cream at this point. So I put a few spoonfuls in a bowl, and added a few drops of cream as a test to see if it would mix. Luckily it did. So, while mixing with a handmixer, I gradually added about half a cup more cream and half a cup more whole milk. The mixture then began to thin out and look more like melted ice cream to me. I strained it, then put it in the machine for 25-30 minutes. It seemed much better and is now hardening up even more in the freezer. I'm curious what the consistency will be like in 24 hours.

I'm not sure why this happened. The recipe said to heat the custard until it resembled chocolate pudding, and then to let it cool, which I did. First on the counter for 2 hours then in the fridge over night (I didn't put a hot mixture in the refridgerator of course). I ended up with fudge!

Will let everyone know how it turns out in the end.

[JasonTrue]

My experience with recipes containing lots of chocolate in the ice cream maker is that the cocoa butter plus the cream set firm, causing an incredibly hard mix, like a sliceable frozen parfait.

So I now make chocolate ice cream with less chocolate, preferably 85%+ cacao, and more cocoa powder. I'm not sure if there's a trick for balancing out the cocoa butter, but for sorbets, either alcohol or more sugar usually does the trick to control freezing.

[schneich]

congratulatios!

you made yourself a ganache :-)

cheers

t.

[lapin d'or]

I have not done tests to compare ice-creams made from chocolates with different cocoa butter percentages but both Valrhona and Callebaut recommend on their websites that you use lower cocoa butter chocolates in ice-cream.

I once made a rich chocolate ice-cream that I can only describe as being quite chewy and I think this was becuase there was too much solid fat in it.

[paulraphael]

Yup, it's the cocoa butter.

The alternatives include switching to a lower cocoa butter percentage ice cream, or increasing the ratio of cocoa to chocolate. If you do this, you'll also have to up the sugar, and probably also the cream.

Chocolate ice cream is tricky. I'm working on it now. The nature of the chocolate presents a huge variable.

[SaladFingers]

Some recipes for ice cream suggest "either churn in an ice cream maker or freeze". If you can just freeze it, why would you bother churning it?

I ask as I do not have an ice cream machine but would like to make this:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6983/plum-ice-cream

How does the icecream differ when freezing instead of churning?

[dellis453]

If you use an ice cream maker, it makes the ice cream smoother. I too do not have one. If you have a food processor, freeze the mixture until nearly solid (or if very solid leave out of the freezer a little while), then put it into the food processor and whizz round (you may have to do this in batches), then put back to refreeze.

Some recipes for ice cream suggest "either churn in an ice cream maker or freeze". If you can just freeze it, why would you bother churning it?

I ask as I do not have an ice cream machine but would like to make this:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6983/plum-ice-cream

How does the icecream differ when freezing instead of churning?

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[lapin d'or]

You will get smaller ice crystals, smoother texture, in an ice-cream that is stirred constantly while it is being frozen. The volume may also increase due to the additional air that gets incorporated while churning.

The recipe you want to try includes one whisking if it is frozen without churning. Some recipes suggest you beat by hand two or three times while the mixture is freezing.

[SaladFingers]

If you have a food processor, freeze the mixture until nearly solid (or if very solid leave out of the freezer a little while), then put it into the food processor and whizz round (you may have to do this in batches), then put back to refreeze.

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What attachment do you use? The knife blade presumably

Thanks for the replies.

Edited January 25, 2009 by SaladFingers (log)

[origamicrane]

yep you can make it using a plastic container and the freezer but like dellis453 said you will have to go back and stick it in a food processor or you a hand blender to incorporate some air.

But as you would expect even then the texture will not be as good as shop bought ice cream.

You can get the ice cream makers that have the pre frozen bowl for under £30. The results are pretty good but you need to freeze the bowl the night before and you will only be abel to make one batch before you have to refreeze teh bowl overnight.

Or you can buy a ice cream machine with inbuilt refrigeration,. These usually cost at least £200 but I found this one at M&S

£99 and has a 2 year guarantee.

It's quiet, easy to clean and make very good ice cream.

M&S ice cream maker

[Darienne]

Today I made my very first ice cream ever in one of those Cuisinart Ice Cream makers which I came into just yesterday: Vanilla Bean, on the same page as the chocolate one made by Wannabechef.

The ice cream was a great success although I feared it would not be. I used previously frozen whipping cream and the cooking custard separated in the pot. I used the hand mixer on it and hoped for the best. And the best it was.

I am so grateful to have found this thread BEFORE I attempted the chocolate.

I am going to enjoy this little machine and so will my DH.

[imanalienchef]

Hi everyone,

this is my first post here in the forums. I love this site. So here is my problems and hopefully some of you can help.

1) does anyone have advice on a good relatively affordable or should i say cheap home Ice cream makers that are refridgerated..

2) Does anyone also have any advice as to what I can add to my homeade recipes to keep the ice crystals from forming?

I always refriderate my mix overnight in the fridge. I used to use the cuisinart ice cream maker but I find those with the removable bowls you have to freeze first absolutely worthless. I still got ice crystals or to hard of ice cream. I have books galore but ahhhhhhhhh to much. Just the other day I made creme brulle and then froze the mix but I tried adding some Guar gum to it first. Hmmm..... it stayed very smooth and creamy and did not solidify so was it the guar gum or just because There was only cream and no milk with eggs or ????????? Help!!!!

[Tri2Cook]

It's entirely possible to do good ice creams and sorbets in the "frozen bowl" type of machines. Is there a difference between ice cream done in one of those and ice cream done in a top-of-the-line pro machine? Yes. Is that difference enough to justify $5,000+ vs. $50 for home use? In my opinion, no. If your base formulas are correct, your container is well frozen and your base is well chilled, your results will be good. Everything I've posted in the "Frozen Desserts" thread was done in my "frozen bowl" machine because I was doing really small test batches and it seemed silly to bother with anything larger. I have a home-sized machine with a built in compressor that works really well but it's more a convenience thing (continuous batches without waiting for bowls to freeze) than a quality difference. I think you're going to have to get up into the expensive commercial range fast-freeze machines to see any real difference in quality that's a result of the machine.

Edited February 22, 2009 by Tri2Cook (log)

[jayhay]

I have a frozen-bowl Cuisinart machine & I have good results - but - only after I read here on eGullet about adding a little alcohol to my mixture to keep it from forming those dreaded ice crystals.

[paulraphael]

Some general tips on preventing crystalization:

-make sure your freezer is turned down very low. the ice cream will harden faster. and if you use a frozen bowl mixer, it will freeze much faster while you spin it. My freezer is set to -4°F, which is great for ice cream making.

-use a bit of alcohol in your recipes (vanilla extract, vodka, brandies, liqueurs). try about 2tsp/qt.

-add some nonfat dry milk to the recipes (this works like magic). about 25g/qt.

-add a small amount of gelatin to the custard while it's heating. try about 1g/qt.

-substite a small amount glucose syrup or corn syrup or invert syrup for a portion of the sugar

All of these recipe tweaks will also result in ice cream that's softer and more scoopable. You just don't want to go too far. And of course, dropping the freezer temperature will have the opposite effect. But ice cream needs to warm up a bit before serving no matter what.

Edited February 22, 2009 by paulraphael (log)

[Sebastian]

I'll have to see if i can't dig out my old penn state ice cream manual, but from memory, commerically most places are using a hydrocolloid such as xanthan gum to control moisture phase transition issues such as icing. i don't recall the levels, other than it's very small - currently i'm on crutches (blew my ankle/leg up) and can't get up the stairs to find the box that has the manual in it, but if you can wait i'll do so when i can. in the meantime, perhaps someone else can comment on it as well.

[Darienne]

Everything I've posted in the "Frozen Desserts" thread was done in my "frozen bowl" machine because I was doing really small test batches and it seemed silly to bother with anything larger.

Hi Tri2Cook,

I'm not very experienced in looking up things on this list, and I could not find a thread marked "Frozen Desserts". Could you please give more specific directions, should they exist.

I just 'came into' a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and have made one batch to date, Rich Vanilla. No crystals. Maybe beginner's luck. Next I am going for Coconut Ice Cream and then Peach (my neighbor has some fresh-frozen peaches and is salivating.)

A whole new world opens up.....

Edit: Could it be the thread: Francisco Migoya's Frozen Desserts ? Thanks

Edited February 22, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[gap]

As well as all the tips mentioned above, I also put gladwrap (clingwrap/plastic wrap) against the ice cream before I put the lid on.

Dextrose or atomised glucose can also be good for keeping an ice-cream "scoopable".

The book mentioned above (Frozen Desserts by Francisco Migoya - CIA) is great at explaining why different ingredients do what they do in ice cream.

Edited to add: the book even has recipes for ice cream stabilisers which can also help with freezing issues.

Edited February 22, 2009 by gap (log)

[Tri2Cook]

Edit:  Could it be the thread: Francisco Migoya's Frozen Desserts ?  Thanks

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Yep, that's the one. I probably should have made it a link since I referenced it.

[djyee100]

I've had good results with a frozen-bowl ice cream maker. I keep the plastic dasher in the freezer along with the bowl. The ice cream freezes better and faster when the dasher is also very cold.

[Darienne]

Thanks for the answers to my questions.

[TNChocolatier]

Hi everyone,

this is my first post here in the forums. I love this site. So here is my problems and hopefully some of you can help.

1) does anyone have advice on a good relatively affordable or should i say cheap home Ice cream makers that are refridgerated..

2) Does anyone also have any advice as to what I can add to my homeade recipes to keep the ice crystals from forming?

I always refriderate my mix overnight in the fridge. I used to use the cuisinart ice cream maker but I find those with the removable bowls you have to freeze first absolutely worthless. I still got ice crystals or to hard of ice cream. I have books galore but ahhhhhhhhh to much. Just the other day I made creme brulle and then froze the mix but I tried adding some Guar gum to it first. Hmmm..... it stayed very smooth and creamy and did not solidify so was it the guar gum or just because There was only cream and no milk with eggs or ????????? Help!!!!

←

Ice cream bases are a very technical endeavor. There are many different factors to take into account in order to have a balanced formula. One of these is free water. If you have too much free water in your base, it will form ice crystals when frozen, and not be smooth to the palate. To stop this from happening you need to reduce the amount of free water in your recipe. I use an ice cream stabilizer which "gellifies" a percentage of your free water in order to keep it from forming crystals. The percentage used differs with every recipe. Let me find the guidelines that I use, and I will try and post them in the next few days. It will also help extend the amount of time before your ice cream melts after serving.

[tan319]

This is an excellent article by Michael Laiskonis, Le Bernardin pastry chef ( and former P&B forum host) on ice cream formulation and the why's and wherefores.

Scroll down to "Doing the math".

There's also a similar one on sorbet.

Also, you can get a Cuisinart ice cream machine with an onboard compressor for around 250.00.

Good Luck!

[ilikefood]

Some general tips on preventing crystalization:

-make sure your freezer is turned down very low. the ice cream will harden faster. and if you use a frozen bowl mixer, it will freeze much faster while you spin it. My freezer is set to -4°F, which is great for ice cream making.

-use a bit of alcohol in your recipes (vanilla extract, vodka, brandies, liqueurs). try about 2tsp/qt.

-add some nonfat dry milk to the recipes (this works like magic). about 25g/qt.

-add a small amount of gelatin to the custard while it's heating. try about 1g/qt.

-substite a small amount glucose syrup or corn syrup or invert syrup for a portion of the sugar

For your ratios, is it a quart of unfrozen base mixture or a quart of frozen ice cream?

Edited March 9, 2009 by ilikefood (log)