Ice cream & Sorbet recipes and tips

[Jonathan Day]

Steve, some fruit mixtures seem to improve in flavour by being held overnight after spinning -- the taste changes as if the fruit had been "cooked" a bit.

For example: I regularly do pineapple sorbets, using puréed raw pineapple, plus ordinary sugar and glucose to 18 degrees Baumé and sometimes a bit of lemon juice. It is delicious, and with that dense a syrup it comes out rich and smooth, almost like an ice cream. Served with paper-thin slices of pineapple, sugared and dried in a very low oven, it is magic.

But the flavour is sometimes just a bit more balanced the next day. Is this the effect of cell walls being broken down by the freezing?

[Jim Dixon]

Hub-UK2...

I make sorbet at home (Krups unit) using fruit, simple syrup, and a small bit of some kind of alcohol. I'm too lazy to pick up the MeGee book right behind me to look up exactly how the alcohol affects the freezing, but know from experience that it keeps the finished sorbet from getting too icy.

I don't like to bother with custards, so I make a sort of gelato using milk, cream, sugar, and cornstarch. I was using gelatin, but picked up the cornstarch after a Saveur article a couple of years back about gelato in Sicily.

Jim

[Schielke]

Nightscotsman and I had a fun Ice Cream making session about a week ago. Here is what we made:

Blue Cheese Ice Cream with Fig Compote-

The blue cheese we used was Roaring 40s Australian Blue, which is fabulous. The resulting product was very tasty and was great with the fig compote. Small servings were a must though, it was a very strong flavor.

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream-

This was lovely. We added Horlicks powder to the base mixture before we poured it over the chocolate. The subtle maltiness was so very good. I need to make some more of this.

Coconut Sorbet-

This sorbet was nearly an Ice Ceam in texture due to all of the fat in coconut. We made this one using the ol' freeze and stir method, which suited the texture of this sorbet.

Grapefruit-Rosemary Sorbet-

This one hit you with a shot of Grapefruit and then a seperate shot of Rosemary. It was very interesting how the two flavors were almost seperate. We made it by infusing fresh Rosemary into the syrup, which was added to fresh Grapefruit Juice.

Pineapple-Maple Ice cream with Pecans-

Nightscotsman prepared the Pineapple the night before by poaching it in Maple syrup. We could have stopped there and just gorged ourselves on pineapple though, it was so good. The base was made with a custard and the same maple syrup used to poach the pineapple. We cubed the pineapple and chopped the pecans. These went in at the last minute. This one was so very good that I am wishing that I had not let Nightscotsman take the leftovers home.

I am thinking of making something tonight. Perhaps a dark chocolate Ice cream or a Butter Pecan or something. I need to look up some recipes.

Ben

[Suvir Saran]

Ben did you take pics?

[Schielke]

Unfourtanely no, my camera is still broken and I haven't been able to do so. Nuts!

As soon as I resolve my camera issues though, I am all over more pics. Just for you Suvir!

Ben

[tan319]

if anyone has used one of the Euro Pro machines I would love to see a report of how well they work.

[elyse]

Foodman, can you post your orange blossom ice cream?

Schielke, can you post your blue cheese ice cream and fig compote, and your pineapple maple? Maybe the chocolate malt too, but if you get tired, the first two REALLY interest me.

You are all entirely too brilliant. Thanks for all of the information.

[nightscotsman]

Blue Cheese Ice Cream:

The texture of this one was really luscious and remained smooth and crystal-free for several days in the freezer.

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs corn syrup

4 oz. blue cheese (the Australian stuff we used was really good, but for this I would recommend Stilton for it's mild, rich flavor)

blend together cheese and corn syrup util smooth (immersion blender is great for this) - set aside.

bring milk and cream to a boil. whisk together egg yolks and sugar and slowly whisk in some of the hot cream to temper. pour eggs into cream mixture and continue to cook over medium heat until thickened slightly and it coats the back of a spoon (like creme anglais). Off heat whisk cheese and syrup into hot custard until smooth, then strain through fine sieve into a bowl. chill until very cold and process in ice cream maker.

The fig compote was kind of made up along the lines of:

roughly chop a couple handfulls of dried mission figs. put them in a sauce pan with ruby port and red wine to almost cover. add a couple Tbs of sugar (or less, depending on how much port you use), half a stick of cinnamon, half a star anise, a couple strips of orange zest with a clove stuck in one, and maybe 10 black pepper corns. simmer until the figs are soft, but not falling apart and the liquid reduces and gets syrupy.

As for the maple-pineapple ice cream, I thought the flavor was really good, but I would like to work on the recipe to improve the texture. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

[elyse]

Thanks, nightscotsman. Promise you'll get back on the pineaple issue?

[nightscotsman]

Sorry for taking to so long, but I've finally fixed the texture issues of the pineapple-maple ice cream. Here is the revised recipe:

Maple Poached Pineapple:

1/2 a ripe pineapple

1 cup maple syrup (I used grade A dark amber)

Cut off pineapple skin and eyes, slice in quarters lengthwise. Remove woody core and slice each quarter in half vertically. Cut each slice into 1/2 inch chunks. Bring maple syrup to boil in heavy saucepan. Add half of the pineapple and bring back to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep, stirring occasionally, until cool. Drain pineapple well and reserve liquid. Refrigerate pineapple and syrup separately. (if you like, you can use 2 cups of syrup and poach all the pineapple - it's really good over waffles or pancakes, or just eaten right out of the container)

Pineapple-Maple Ice Cream:

1/2 coarsely chopped TOASTED pecans

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1-1/4 cups maple poaching liquid from above

1-1/2 cups poached pineapple from above

Put poaching liquid in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce syrup to 1/2 cup then add cream. This may cause the syrup to solidify - just continue to heat and stir until everything is melted together. When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add milk. Chill thoroughly.

When you are ready to process the ice cream, cut pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes and put in a container large enough to hold finished ice cream - place in freezer to chill. Process the cream mixture in ice cream maker to the consistency of soft ice cream. spoon into container with pineapple, add chopped pecans and stir together. Freeze until firm.

[elyse]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!

You like grade A? I heard that B was better. Is there a thread?

Edit: I just searched, and there's no specific thread (title), and six pages of threads to go through. Sigh....

Edited March 2, 2003 by elyse (log)

[nightscotsman]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!

You like grade A?  I heard that B was better.  Is there a thread?

Edit:  I just searched, and there's no specific thread (title), and six pages of threads to go through.  Sigh....

Normally I like grade B, but I only had grade A at the time. I think in this case the grade B might overpower the pineapple flavor, but I would still used it if that's what you have. Personally, I think the lighter amber varieties in both grades are too wimpy.

I don't think we've done a maple syrup thread here. Why don't you go ahead and start one?

[elyse]

Honestly, I feel like I ask too many dumb questions already. But I will in a sec. Inquiring minds want to know!

Good reasons for the grade A. Thank you once again. How did you like the Chocolate Malt IC? Worth sharing the love?

[vengroff]

Here is nightscotsman's recipe for Pineapple-Maple Ice Cream. It's now in the recipe archive.

nsm - Feel free to edit it in the archive if my cut and paste job is not to your liking.

[Rachel Perlow]

Speaking of machines--what are you all using? Ben? I have seen a self-contained cooling unit down around $200 as well--Euro Pro was the model I believe.  It used to be you had to spend $500-600 for a decent home model.

I just posted about this in the Mango Sorbet thread, but it seems equally appropriate here. For those wanting a high-end ice cream machine for the home (or for small catering operations, as an Amazon reviewer said she was), there's one similar to the one we own on Amazon now. It is the Simac #4050 Il Gelataio Magnum. They have it listed for $400, but it is currently in with the Gold Box offers for $372, with free shipping. So, if you are interested, click the link to see it listed on Amazon. Of course, I can't guarantee that it will come up if you look at your Gold Box offers (click the treasure chest in the upper right hand corner of the Amazon screen), but $400 with free shipping seems like a decent price for this machine (I'm still glad ours was a hand-me-down). The only difference between this and the model we own seems to be a timer.

[KatieLoeb]

One of the tastiest things I've tried lately was a small scoop of Bloody Mary sorbet atop a Kumamoto oyster on the half shell. Yummmmmm....

I served an Apple-Rosemary sorbet as the intermezzo at my wedding reception. That went over pretty well too.

[nightscotsman]

How did you like the Chocolate Malt IC?  Worth sharing the love?

The chocolate malt ice cream was rich and creamy, and while very good, I have to admit that when we tasted it, Ben and I looked at each other and said "Wendy's Frosty!" By the way, we got the recipe from Nancy Silvertion's "Desserts" book, which is now back in print, but only available from Jessica's Biscuit.

[elyse]

How did you like the Chocolate Malt IC?  Worth sharing the love?

The chocolate malt ice cream was rich and creamy, and while very good, I have to admit that when we tasted it, Ben and I looked at each other and said "Wendy's Frosty!" By the way, we got the recipe from Nancy Silvertion's "Desserts" book, which is now back in print, but only available from Jessica's Biscuit.

While I can be pretty low-brow, I've never had a Wendy's Frosty. Now I feel I should. Did you use malted milk or liquid malt?

[nightscotsman]

While I can be pretty low-brow, I've never had a Wendy's Frosty.  Now I feel I should.  Did you use malted milk or liquid malt?

We used Horlicks malt powder. Here are the ingredients:

10 oz milk chocolate

8 egg yolks (told ya it was rich)

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup malt powder

2 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

Make a custard as usual from the cream, milk, malt powder and eggs. While still hot pour over the chocolate and stir to melt and blend. Chill and add Bailey's. Process.

[tan319]

Instead of trolling away for tips and recipes for HubUK David--in turn to reprint on your website--why don't you just put a link on your site to the discussions here--your readers will find that alot more helpful than a recipe anyway, especially JD's thoughtful commentary. And you're welcome to share some of your own efforts with your new machine here as well.

JD--a Pacojet doesn't cost a small fortune for a pro--in fact, I bought two PacoJets for a restaurant for less than the price of the smallest commercial batch freezer--i.e. a Coldelite or a Taylor.  It's very accessible and less expensive, actually, for a small restaurateur or caterer or affluent home enthusiast.  Especially if you factor in its savory applications which the best chefs are using it for all the time. I also hear a home model of the PacoJet is now available in Europe with some plastic components and a smaller beaker size but for alot less money.  Might be worth it for you Europeans to check it out, certainly if you'd like to make a good olive oil ice cream--it's much easier in a Paco. And re: sorbets--you might find it interesting to know that many pastry chefs use their Pacos for ice creams only and still make sorbets in a batch freezer. So, too, some ice cream flavors, like caramel just seem to work better in a batch freezer.  You can't get the right flavor and texture in a Paco due to the sugar content.

Ben, yes, I also feel a really good chocolate sorbet--made with chocolate not cocoa powder exclusively-- can taste better and more immediate than a chocolate ice cream.

can anyone tell me how much those extra canisters for Paco-Jets usually cost?

[Katherine]

I posted a recipe here eons ago for habanero granita, but I didn't find it on a search.

[Marlene]

Katherine:

here is a link to your thread on this Habanero granita

and here is a link recipe in the archive

It's classified as Ice cream because we do not have a sorbet category

[Clerkenwellian]

some lovely person just gave me a Magimix Le Glacier ice cream maker (the 1.5l version) - would be really grateful for recipes or tips anyone might have.

(and apologies if there's previously been a thread on this - my meagre searching skills may have missed it)

[jackal10]

Make basic vanilla first to get used to it...

Savoury icecreams are the lastest fad, easy and delicous

Avocado icecream

Roast Onion Icecream

Grain Mustard icecream (with cabbage dishes especially)

Tomato sorbet

[Toliver]

I have a recommendation for a recipe.

I like to make homemade ice cream on summer holidays (using the old-fashioned outdoor ice cream maker) and have been searching for a great vanilla ice cream recipe that didn't include eggs. I'd tried many cooked egg-based recipes but was disappointed since they all seemed to come out tasting like vanilla pudding. I tried non-cooked egg ice cream recipes and stopped making them when I found bits of frozen yolk on the paddle.

But I found a winner: This past July 4th, I downloaded Alton Brown's "Serious Vanilla Ice Cream" from the FoodNetwork web site and was ecstatic with the results. There are no eggs in the recipe. It's a little pricey since it does call for a real vanilla bean, but it was worth every penny. You heat the mixture until it reaches 170°. Then let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it overnight before churning.

The end result was a smooth, light and very intense vanilla ice cream, almost as if you had blended whip cream with vanilla ice cream. A sensuous soft serve ice cream, if you will. You're supposed to let it "ripen" (harden) in the freezer but I thought it lost a lot of its charm once it was frozen.

You can find the recipe here:

Alton Brown's "Serious Vanilla Ice Cream"