Philadelphia Style Ice Cream

[weinoo]

Lately, I've been experimenting a lot more with Philadelphia style ice creams. Philadelphia style ice cream is evidently also know as New York or American ice cream, which is news to me, but since I've read that in a couple of places, I believe it.

Philadelphia style ice cream contains no eggs and is therefore not custard based. I think I may like it more than many custard based ice creams; the mouth feel is a little lighter and the flavor of the fruit and/or other add-ins really stands out. It also doesn't involve custard, making it that much easier to produce.

This weekend, I made an apricot ice cream that was really great. I've recently made delicious vanilla and pistachio Philadelphia style ice creams as well. The only one I've seem to have trouble with is chocolate, which I intend to try again soon.

My base formula is 2 cups cream, 1 cup whole milk, 3/4 cup sugar. This will handle about a pound of fruit, and what I've been doing as of late is cooking the fruit to intensify it's flavor. I always scald the milk, along with a cup of the cream and the sugar. Then, I'll blend that well with the cooked fruit, and mix it with the additional cup of cream, a tsp. of vanilla extract (in the case of apricots, I also added a bit of of almond extract) a tablespoonful or so of liqueur, in this case Apry (it's good to have a well stock bar at times like this) and a pinch of salt. Into the fridge to mellow overnight before freezing in the Lello. Beats the heck out of anything I can buy in the store, that's for sure.

Any Philadelphia style ice cream aficianados out there? What are you freezing?

[tmriga]

I've been playing around with B&J's Chunky Monkey. I just can't seem to get the banana flavor right. I don't want to use an extract, so I tried a compound, by weight, according to the manufacturer; I just can't get the right intensity. I was thinking about trying icing fruit, which I use for flavoring my Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but that has some sugar in it. I don't want the sweetness to go overboard. My next attempt will include the trimmed whites of almost black bananas.

My grand-niece's birthday is in 4 weeks, so I've also been prepping some Coquito ices, similar to a soft Italian Ice, but just like the old men used to sell from the cart, on the corner in my former neighborhood in the City. I can still hear them yell "Coquito!," and see all of us running to be first in line.

A friend of mine finally gave up her precious recipe, which I've been asking for, for about 20 years. I made 2-1/2 gallons of it so far, in my big 6 qt. Rival, with at least another gallon to go. There will be about 100 people, and nobody around here makes it in the machine, so I've got a lock on a big line waiting.

Theresa

[weinoo]

I've been playing around with B&J's Chunky Monkey.  I just can't seem to get the banana flavor right.  I don't want to use an extract, so I tried a compound, by weight, according to the manufacturer; I just can't get the right intensity.  I was thinking about trying icing fruit, which I use for flavoring my Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but that has some sugar in it.  I don't want the sweetness to go overboard.  My next attempt will include the trimmed whites of almost black bananas.

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Have you tried a high-quality banana liqueur?

And you're right to try the really ripe bananas - even with banana bread, the fruit has to be really black.

[ElsieD]

  The only one I've seem to have trouble with is chocolate, which I intend to try again soon.

I have never made the Philadelphia style ice cream as I have always made the custard type. However, given what you have said, I will have to try it. Have you tried the Chocolate Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style recipe from David Lebovitz's book?

[weinoo]

  The only one I've seem to have trouble with is chocolate, which I intend to try again soon.

I have never made the Philadelphia style ice cream as I have always made the custard type. However, given what you have said, I will have to try it. Have you tried the Chocolate Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style recipe from David Lebovitz's book?

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I'm pretty sure that's the one I tried the first time. Of course, if I followed ALL the directions, it might have come out better.

[Darienne]

Lately, I've been experimenting a lot more with Philadelphia style ice creams.  Philadelphia style ice cream is evidently also know as New York or American ice cream, which is news to me, but since I've read that in a couple of places, I believe it.

Philadelphia style ice cream contains no eggs and is therefore not custard based.  I think I may like it more than many custard based ice creams; the mouth feel is a little lighter and the flavor of the fruit and/or other add-ins really stands out.  It also doesn't involve custard, making it that much easier to produce.

This weekend, I made an apricot ice cream that was really great.  I've recently made delicious vanilla and pistachio Philadelphia style ice creams as well.  The only one I've seem to have trouble with is chocolate, which I intend to try again soon.

My base formula is 2 cups cream, 1 cup whole milk, 3/4 cup sugar. This will handle about a pound of fruit, and what I've been doing as of late is cooking the fruit to intensify it's flavor.  I always scald the milk, along with a cup of the cream and the sugar.  Then, I'll blend that well with the cooked fruit, and mix it with the additional cup of cream, a tsp. of vanilla extract (in the case of apricots, I also added a bit of of almond extract) a tablespoonful or so of liqueur, in this case Apry (it's good to have a well stock bar at times like this) and a pinch of salt.  Into the fridge to mellow overnight before freezing in the Lello.  Beats the heck out of anything I can buy in the store, that's for sure.

Any Philadelphia style ice cream aficianados out there? What are you freezing?

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Hello Weinoo,

I am a Philadelphia style ice cream aficionado. My favorite vanilla ice cream recipe is that of Alton Brown, 'Serious Vanilla Ice Cream'. 2 cups half & half and one cup heavy cream. I then add whatever flavoring or inclusions to that mixture, my favorite so far being an adaptation of DL's Orange and Szechwan Pepper Ice cream. Other variations have included adding candied this or that.

One small point: although I can find no reference to New York style ice cream in DL, Gail Damerow in Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop, refers to New York ice cream as being a custard ice cream with eggs.

I have to admit that recently I have turned to making ice creams/ gelati with cornstarch. Lower concentration of fat.

You sound as if you are really barreling along with your ice cream making.

[weinoo]

One small point: although I can find no reference to New York style ice cream in DL, Gail Damerow in Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop, refers to New York ice cream as being a custard ice cream with eggs.

I have to admit that recently I have turned to making ice creams/ gelati with cornstarch.  Lower concentration of fat.

You sound as if you are really barreling along with your ice cream making.

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Although I'm sure we can find various definitions for New York style ice cream, I specifically recall reading in Cookwise, by Shirley Corriher, that Philadelphia style is also referred to as New York style.

On a quick search, allrecipes.com also says that

Ice cream is divided into two basic categories: custard-style (or French custard-style) and Philadelphia-style (also called "New York" or "American").

which may very well be quoted from Cookwise.

Alternatively, if we can agree that custard style ice-creams are referred to as French ice cream, then that leaves NY style, Philadelphia style and American style as non custard based ice creams.

[Darienne]

Although I'm sure we can find various definitions for New York style ice cream, I specifically recall reading in Cookwise, by Shirley Corriher, that Philadelphia style is also referred to as New York style.

On a quick search, allrecipes.com also says that

Ice cream is divided into two basic categories: custard-style (or French custard-style) and Philadelphia-style (also called "New York" or "American").

which may very well be quoted from Cookwise.

Alternatively, if we can agree that custard style ice-creams are referred to as French ice cream, then that leaves NY style, Philadelphia style and American style as non custard based ice creams.

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Someone will simply have to write Ms Damerow a note.

[Lisa Shock]

Philadelphia style is my favorite type of ice cream. I love the smooth, light texture and find the chewiness of other ice creams made with eggs and/or gums to be annoying. (why, oh why, did Breyer's have to change their formula?)

I have been working on a butter-almond flavor but trying to get the butter to be noticeable flavor-wise without actually being tiny chunks in the final ice cream. I'll post a recipe if I get things worked out....

[youngchef11]

I have tried the same ice cream book, David Lebovitz's. Often i will make just the simple Philly vanilla and mix in flavors like crushed Oreos for cookies and cream, or choclate chip cookie dough, which i found to be a bit grainy. I will often make one of my favorites, the simple Philly vanilla and do the candied orange and lemon peel. Its absolutly amazing. Just make sure when you are cooking the sugar and the peels, that you have your thermometer on the right tempature the whole time. Otherwise the peels will develope not a smooth coating, but the sugar will clump and crystalize around it all. i have tried the wet walnut one, which mixes on walnuts and molassas. I would not reccomend it unless you personally know you like molassas. i thought i did, but turns out i dont...

[Scout_21]

I really like Jeni's ice cream from Columbus Ohio. She doesn't use eggs in her ice cream and she actually tweaked a few recipes for home machines

Jeni's Ice Cream recipes

Jenis homepage

[Darienne]

I really like Jeni's ice cream from Columbus Ohio.  She doesn't use eggs in her ice cream and she actually tweaked a few recipes for home machines

Jeni's Ice Cream recipes

Jenis homepage

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I looked up Jeni's ice creams and I see that one of them calls for cornstarch and two for cream cheese. Would be worth a try.

I always loathed mint anything until I was learning how to make truffles at a Hamilton chocolatier's workshop and we used mint leaves. Suddenly another world opened to me...a lot of that happened in the last two years...ice cream, mint flavoring, eggs, etc, etc...and so I think I'll try Jeni's Mint Ice Cream next.

I found: Mint, Pistachio and Vanilla Bean Ice Creams. I also found some yoghurts and sorbets. Did I miss any of the ice cream recipes? If so, how can I find them?

Thanks.

[rlibkind]

Philadelphia style ice cream doesn't require eggs, but adding a raw egg (or pasteurized reconstituted dry whole egg or egg yolk) is a good thing. I've been experimenting with Philadelphia style all summer, and found that by adding the egg I get a much smoother, creamier mouth-feel. Again, I'm not making a custard base; I'm just using heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized), maybe with a little whole milk added, with sugar and whatever flavor/fruit I'm working with. I figure it's the yolk's lecithin that does the trick, so I guess you could just add lecithin if you can find it.

[paulraphael]

Philadelphia style ice cream doesn't require eggs, but adding a raw egg (or pasteurized reconstituted dry whole egg or egg yolk) is a good thing.

You can also use a bit of gelatin or other colloids.

I prefer custardless ice creams when making fruit and chocolate flavors. I don't know if my recipes can be called Philadelphia style (Mitch would probably say I mess with them too much) but for these flavors I like lower milk fat levels, and I find any taste of egg custard intrusive.

I make my fruit flavors about 12% milk fat and my chocolate flavors about 10%. Both are improved by additions of nonfat dry milk and small amounts of stabilizing ingredients.

[Scout_21]

I looked up Jeni's ice creams and I see that one of them calls for cornstarch and two for cream cheese.  Would be worth a try.

I always loathed mint anything until I was learning how to make truffles at a Hamilton chocolatier's workshop and we used mint leaves.  Suddenly another world opened to me...a lot of that happened in the last two years...ice cream, mint flavoring, eggs, etc, etc...and so I think I'll try Jeni's Mint Ice Cream next.

I found: Mint, Pistachio and Vanilla Bean Ice Creams.  I also found some yoghurts and sorbets.  Did I miss any of the ice cream recipes?  If so, how can I find them?

Thanks. 

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Those are all I know about. I asked about an ice cream recipe book and she said she was working on one...but that was a year or so ago. The vanilla recipe makes for a great starter recipe. I made some maple ice cream with that recipe and some of Lebovitz's and it came out wonderfully (better in my opinion than the recipe in The Perfect Scoop). The cream cheese and cornstarch additions give the ice cream a wonderful mouth feel.

Cheers

[Darienne]

Those are all I know about.  I asked about an ice cream recipe book and she said she was working on one...but that was a year or so ago.  The vanilla recipe makes for a great starter recipe.  I made some maple ice cream with that recipe and some of Lebovitz's and it came out wonderfully (better in my opinion than the recipe in The Perfect Scoop).  The cream cheese and cornstarch additions give the ice cream a wonderful mouth feel.

Cheers

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Thanks, Scout. I don't think I've noticed any other ice creams made with cream cheese, but it should be good.

My own base recipe is Alton Brown's Serious Vanilla and then add whatever to it. I'll try Jeni's. And with the mint...just bought two packs of fresh mint this afternoon and wished again that I'd planted a mint patch. Next year.

[weinoo]

You can also use a bit of gelatin or other colloids.

I prefer custardless ice creams when making fruit and chocolate flavors. I don't know if my recipes can be called Philadelphia style (Mitch would probably say I mess with them too much) but for these flavors I like lower milk fat levels, and I find any taste of egg custard intrusive.

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I think we should call these Bushwick style.

[Darienne]

You can also use a bit of gelatin or other colloids.

I prefer custardless ice creams when making fruit and chocolate flavors. I don't know if my recipes can be called Philadelphia style (Mitch would probably say I mess with them too much) but for these flavors I like lower milk fat levels, and I find any taste of egg custard intrusive.

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I think we should call these Bushwick style.

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Bushwick, Brooklyn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by East Williamsburg to the northwest, Bed-Stuy to the southwest, the Cemetery of the Evergreens and other cemeteries to the southeast, and Ridgewood, Queens to the northeast.[1] The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4. New York City Council Member Diana Reyna represents this area. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 83rd Precinct.[2]

In other words, the Underbelly ice cream style is to be called after a part of Brooklyn NY. An 'in' joke amongst New Yorkers.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[paulraphael]

Ha. Bushwick means a lot of things to a lot of people, but I don't know if any of those things is appetizing.

Maybe Bushwick style means you eat it with a shank?

[Darienne]

from Scout 21:

I really like Jeni's ice cream from Columbus Ohio. She doesn't use eggs in her ice cream and she actually tweaked a few recipes for home machines

Jeni's Ice Cream recipes Jenis homepage

Made Jeni's mint ice cream over the long weekend. It was not a great success. Did not like the mouth feel...sort of grainy...and did not like the mint flavor either.

OK. I used thawed heavy cream and that may be the mouth feel problem. Or the cream cheese (fresh) or something I just did incorrectly. Strained it twice in a fine strainer. Made no difference. I'd have to try it again with fresh heavy cream to give it another chance. Thawed cream works for baking and ganaches...but maybe not for ice cream.

As for the mint...it make me feel sort of 'oogy'. And repeated on me later. I don't know why. It was fresh mint...but from a grocery store. I've now had a batch of bad ginger...can you have a bad batch of mint?

...or maybe it was just that thawed heavy cream...

[Scout_21]

Hmm...I've never had a graininess problem, but I've never tried to make the mint ice cream. However, it is practically the same as the vanilla recipe. I've never tried thawed cream before. I use a local pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) cream and the regular Philly cream cheese. I wouldn't think using either type of cream would make that big of a difference. Oh I did rest the ice cream mixture in the fridge overnight before churning it to make sure I had it as cold as possible. That's one departure from her recipe that I've always done with any ice cream that I make. This might help with the graininess issue if it seems like ice crystals are the problem. I'm not sure about the mint issue as I've only used home grown. I hope this helps. Cheers

[Darienne]

The more I think of the graininess, the more I think it was simply using previously frozen thawed heavy cream.

However, that does not explain the 'oogy' mint taste.

[paulraphael]

How did you put the mint into the mix?

There was a thread somewhere (cocktail forum?) about mint. Aparently most of the good flavor is right near the surface, so you want to mash up the leaves very, very little. The mixologists call it muddling. If you go too far crushing or pureeing it, you end up with vegetal flavors that aren't so terrific.

[Darienne]

I knew that and I forgot that. Where was my brain?

Here's the salient detail that I was mulling over...with no eGullet to write to. The Jenni Bitten recipe called for 1 cup of minced mint leaves...the DL recipe called for 2 cups of mint WHOLE, UNMINCED, etc.

So...now I know. Thank you, Ice Cream Mentor Man.

[youngchef11]

Also, if you didnt want or couldnt get mint leaves, you could always use mint extract.