Interesting Ice Cream Flavors

[Tri2Cook]

You could do it that way if you want. I was actually suggesting doing that in small bites with various peppers just to figure out what works for you and then doing the large batch using your usual method once you know what you want to use. The problem with folding pepper into the main batch to taste is that, unless you do it just before serving, it's probably going to become more powerful as it sits then it was when you were adjusting it.

[Darienne]

Ended up making one of DL's ice creams yesterday instead of my Raspberry-Pepper one. Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream using one dried Chipotle pepper which I buzzed in my little grinder with some sugar. The ice cream is truly 'hot'. Then I topped it with commercial Dulce de Leche which I had on hand instead of making Cajeta from DL's book.

The official learning experience: This is the first ice cream I have made with liquor. Oh, I used rum, having no brandy. Yep. It's good. However, because I also subbed (per usual) about 2 T of corn syrup for 2 T of sugar, the resultant ice cream is not as frozen as it is normally. Normally, the big chest freezer makes things quite hard and the fridge freezer is better for serving from. This time the fridge freezer is just bordering on a tad too soft. And I could safely leave it in the chest freezer.

Thus alcohol plus corn syrup is more than needed. Which is what I should have thought about ahead of time. No problem. Just another learning experience.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[LizD518]

This ice cream thread is ALIVE!

*LizD: so was the ice cream hard enough or too hard or what? And why if you know or suspect?

Sorry for the endless questions.

Darienne, after the first over-night it was rock hard, but I put it in the refridgerator and it thawed nicely after a half hour or so. I think the water content of the coconut milk is a bit too high, and there are no eggs or cornstarch or other stabilizer. I haven't really looked at cornstarch-based ice cream, although I know you have been getting into them lately, I wonder if that would help the texture if I were to make this again. Still yummy though!

[Darienne]

Darienne, after the first over-night it was rock hard, but I put it in the refridgerator and it thawed nicely after a half hour or so. I think the water content of the coconut milk is a bit too high, and there are no eggs or cornstarch or other stabilizer. I haven't really looked at cornstarch-based ice cream, although I know you have been getting into them lately, I wonder if that would help the texture if I were to make this again. Still yummy though!

I can't remember which is a stabilizer and which is an anything else. I didn't think that cornstarch or eggs were stabilizers ...but then what do I know? The cornstarch and milk makes basically a cornstarch pudding and then you churn it into a frozen air-filled ice cream. I use the cornstarch base to cut down on the calories and the cost. Less heavy cream and no eggs. And the same mouthfeel almost. I find the egg custard ice cream a bit too rich. Especially for every day...

For me it's the corn syrup which keeps any ice crystals at bay and the mixture from getting too hard. I really must get the proper wording into my mind. I just know what works...not why. Paulraphael and jon were my two main mentors who helped me learn how to make proper ice cream two years ago.

[Mette]

Just made Mojito sorbet yesterday, very simple and mojito-like (not a very scientific recipe):

1 dl sugar (whatever kind you normally use in mojito)

1½ dl water

½ dl rum

Boil to dissolve sugar and evaporate alcohol. Cool

Crush ½ liter mint leaves in 3 spoonfulls of water and leave to infuse for a while. Add to the syrup with lime juice and zest to taste. another dash of rum for a little alcohol....Mix in 1½ stiff egg whites and freeze in the machine.

Pour a little rum on the servings and - summer's here!

[paulraphael]

I can't remember which is a stabilizer and which is an anything else. I didn't think that cornstarch or eggs were stabilizers ...but then what do I know? The cornstarch and milk makes basically a cornstarch pudding and then you churn it into a frozen air-filled ice cream. I use the cornstarch base to cut down on the calories and the cost. Less heavy cream and no eggs. And the same mouthfeel almost. I find the egg custard ice cream a bit too rich. Especially for every day...

Cornstarch and custard both work as stabilizers. Really, anything that thickens the mix is a stabilizer. Stabilizers work (mostly) by impeding the free movement of water. This not only thickens the texture / mouthfeel of the ice cream, but also keeps water droplets from moving around, finding each other, and freezing into bigger ice crystals.

Corn syrup doesnt work as a stabilizer, but has a couple of effects. It has stronger freezing point suppression than table sugar, so it will give a softer texture at any given temperature. This is because it's mostly glucose, which, being a smaller molecule than sucrose, naturally has this property. Also, it's less sweet than sucrose, so to get the same sweetness you'll use more of it.

Corn syrup also has the property of discouraging sugar crystalization. That's a reason you see it in icings and chocolates and ganaches. I've never had this problem in ice cream, but if you ever do, you can try fixiing it with corn syrup. Glucose syrup, atomized glucose, or dextrose powder can all substitute for corn syrup (you'd have to do some math to figure out the conversions).

[Darienne]

Corn syrup also has the property of discouraging sugar crystalization. That's a reason you see it in icings and chocolates and ganaches. I've never had this problem in ice cream, but if you ever do, you can try fixiing it with corn syrup. Glucose syrup, atomized glucose, or dextrose powder can all substitute for corn syrup (you'd have to do some math to figure out the conversions).

OK. Thanks about the stabilizers. I'll print that part out and memorize it for the test next week.

I knew the corn syrup information from last year...but am still going to substitute invert sugar for corn syrup if I ever remember to do it before I have the mixture finished. I assume that invert sugar belongs with corn syrup, glucose syrup, etc.

Love it, love it. So much to take in. Thanks as always, paul.

[paulraphael]

The only reason to use invert syrup in place of corn syrup is if you want your ice cream to be sweeter. It has the same freezing point suppression (roughly) as corn syrup, but unlike corn syrup it's sweeter than sucrose, not less sweet. So it's just another arrow to keep in your quiver to help control sweetness and hardness independently of each other.

[Darienne]

The only reason to use invert syrup in place of corn syrup is if you want your ice cream to be sweeter. It has the same freezing point suppression (roughly) as corn syrup, but unlike corn syrup it's sweeter than sucrose, not less sweet. So it's just another arrow to keep in your quiver to help control sweetness and hardness independently of each other.

Ha. I know we have been to this place before about the relative merits of corn syrup and invert sugar. I'm not really concerned about it from some nutritional point of view...I just like to try it all so get a 'bigger picture'.

T'is true, my quiver is pretty full some days.

(I'm working up to trying to use invert sugar instead of corn syrup in hard candy lollipops. Don't know if I can. Some of the Mothers are pretty worked up about corn syrup and if the library is going to sell the goodies to make some money, then I might as well make them corn syrup free if I can...)

Edited June 27, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[Tri2Cook]

Some of the Mothers are pretty worked up about corn syrup and if the library is going to sell the goodies to make some money, then I might as well make them corn syrup free if I can...)

People like to get worked up over anything that means they don't have to think about the fact that (with the exception of medical conditions) if they just take control of how much they take in (or allow their kids to take in), none of the pet "bad ingredients" are actually going to hurt them.

[paulraphael]

Here's a Times Magazine aritcle on Jake Godby, who puts us all to shame ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/magazine/04icecream-t.html?pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

[bjcohan]

If they're serving Beso de Angel, then that must be Tepoztnieves! I had their ice creams in Tepoztlan where the chain started. Glorious flavors. If I can find their complete list, I'll post it here. It's quite extraordinary!

I make all the sorbets for our restaurant and love to play with my food, so we've had (all English translations here):

Mamey with coconut

Mango habanero (incendiary!)

Orange chipotle

Orange mole

Cafe de olla (Coffee with unrefined brown sugar and cinnamon)

Flor de jamaica (hibiscus)

Cilantro

Mojito (mint and rum)

Horchata

Tequila lime

Jalapeno

Chocolate egg cream (made with real seltzer and chocolate U-Bet)

Sweet potato pie sorbet (served layered with whipped cream)

There's more, but it's late and I'm fried...

Barb

[Darienne]

Here's a Times Magazine aritcle on Jake Godby, who puts us all to shame ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/magazine/04icecream-t.html?pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

Wonderful article. Thanks, Paul

[Darienne]

Mamey with coconut

Mango habanero (incendiary!)

Orange chipotle

Orange mole

Cafe de olla (Coffee with unrefined brown sugar and cinnamon)

Flor de jamaica (hibiscus)

Cilantro

Mojito (mint and rum)

Horchata

Tequila lime

Jalapeno

Chocolate egg cream (made with real seltzer and chocolate U-Bet)

Sweet potato pie sorbet (served layered with whipped cream)

There's more, but it's late and I'm fried...

Barb

Do get back with more.

I've only just begun....

[Peter the eater]

I'm thinking about making lobster ice cream with our machine. I think I saw some in Bar Harbor last year, which may have planted the seed. Sweet frozen chowder?

[mathewr]

i made peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich last week.

[Darienne]

Well, I've been busy making ice cream as usual, making up for a long life bereft of ice cream.

Besides making the usual DL The Perfect Scoop recipes, I also made his Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream, using as many Mexican ingredients as I could including Panela for sugar and Tequila for Whiskey.

I've made several ice creams from Fany Gerson, My Sweet Mexico, and loved each one: Helado de Aguacate (Avocado), Helado de Pasitas con Tequila (Raisins and Tequila..3/4 c Tequila!!), Helado de Queso (Queso Fresco with Dulce de Leche swirled in at the last moment). Still to make: Helado de Elote (corn) and Raspado de Margarita (sherbet) and Paletas de Mango Enchilado (Spice Mango Pops) for the weekend.

Made a Blackberry Coconut from Thai Cooking with Jam. Lovely.

A woman cannot make too many different ice creams.

[Jen Rehm]

saffron cardamom ice cream

Brown butter and apple ice cream

totally agree with the "just say no to garlic" comment above - BLECH!

[vice]

i did a saffron ice cream for a party a couple weeks ago. it was a hit, and went great with flan. coffee peanut butter is in the freezer now.

[Mjx]

Palm seed

Fig

Zuppa Inglese

Strawberry, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper sorbet

Semifreddo, most flavours

[Darienne]

I see stretching out before me a long life of making ice creams and frozen desserts...

Edited June 4, 2011 by Darienne (log)

[LindaK]

Recently, I sampled as "chocolate honey spice" that was delish. Spices not specified but I tasted cinnamon and cardamom, with a bit of heat at the finish.

I've always thought that bits of candied ginger in an ice cream would be good, maybe with some tropical fruit.

[Jmahl]

At the insistance of Brazilian friends we just made a batch of prune ice cream. They say its very common and popular in Brazil. Very interesting and tasty.

[MelissaH]

I'm thinking about making lobster ice cream with our machine. I think I saw some in Bar Harbor last year, which may have planted the seed. Sweet frozen chowder?

When I was in grad school, the local ice creamery always had one weirdo flavor, to go with the more traditional vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, oreo, etc. type offerings. One day, the maverick flavor was Squid. I tried it. It was mostly sweet, with bits of squid added. I think I prefer my squid hot.

MelissaH

[xxchef]

Two I made last summer and were very pleased with...

Chocolate Chipotle (smoked red jalapeños)

and

Chai Tea (cardomom-spiked sweet milk tea). I added slivered candied ginger to one batch and it was very good that way too.