Ice cream & Sorbet recipes and tips

[misstenacity]

I have a very low-key Donvier. The only moving part to speak of is my arm. :-)

Just the freezy bowl, a plastic holding vessel, and a paddle & crank. I store it in the freezer, so it stays nice and chilly. I would bet that its even more solid after 48 hrs than after 24 or 12.... though obviously that curve would have to stop at some point.

After spending time on the custard base and/or chilling the mixture, I don't mind spending another 20 min cranking it as it freezes. Just enough time to zip through a Good Eats on the Tivo.

Oh, a great source for recipes is Tom Saaristo (scroll down on the "sweets" column)

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[maremosso]

The world's easiest Lemon Ice Cream recipe:

Combine same quantities Mascarpone and simple syrup (i.e.) 250 g. mascarpone cheese and 250 ml simple sugar syrup.

Mix well.

Chill 24 hours.

Churn in ice cream machine.

15 minutes before done, add half a cup lemon juice.

That's it!

Optional:

instead of lemon juice, you can add half a cup of any fruit preserve you like, or Dulce de Leche, Honey, Chestnut Puree', the sky's the limit.

[ravum]

maremosso, I have everything on hand and plan to make it now.Is the half cup of lemon juice for the proportions above?A syrup of 1 cup sugar and a cup of water sound okay?

[maremosso]

Yes, Ravum. Half a cup lemon juice for the quantities given - but then, I do like my lemon ice cream nice and tart.

It depends too on how sour your lemons are.

1 cup water to 1 cup sugar sounds right.

[Behemoth]

1) In Hamburg I had a great ice cream made with quark and sour cherries. I figure I can sub sour yogurt labneh for the quark. The consistency of theirs was similar to frozen yogurt, though I know quark is considerably thicker. Any idea of proportions? They also did a great nutella-flavored ice cream -- I have no idea where to start with that one.

2) the other thing I'd really like to try is ice cream with herb flavors. The White Dog restaurant in Philadelphia used to do some nice ones with flavors like geranium or rosemary. Do I infuse the herbs in the milk and then strain? Would a custard or a Philadelphia (cream) style ice cream (or something else entirely) work better? How do you give it a decent color? Then again I have an in there, maybe I will give him a call...

3) Doing fruit-flavored ice creams that are not sorbets: say, pear flavor. What kind of dairy goes in there? Proportion of dairy to juice? I think it would also be really cool to try this with tamarind or different kinds of tea. I think I read about earl grey ice cream somewhere, would love to try that.

4) Any good recipes for gelato? What is the basic difference? I have a recipe for pistachio and for chocolate gelato, would like a few other ideas, fruit or nut flavored especially.

5) Anyone try making arabic style ice creams? The gummy milk flavor would be of interest, but something Jallab or Mulberry flavored would be very nice too.

Thanks!

[Daniel]

Recent flavors i have had or was thinking of are:

Cream cheese ice cream with guava paste. caramel covered saltines..

Brown Butter ice cream

Olive oil obviously

Artichoke Ice Cream

[reesek]

behemouth - i bet the folks in baking/pastry would be able to offer a ton of help on this...

i love making creme fraiche iced cream - barely sweet custard base - i add vanilla sugar instead of bean to keep the vanilla in the background. i also made a toasted almond iced cream that came out remarkably almondy. i'd like to do a saffron to serve on an olive oil cake i'm planning to make. and olive oil ice cream is also on my list for the summer. i'll never approximate steveklc, but it's a worthy challenge.

infusions - tea, lavender, verbena - you can steep in the (scalded) milk and then strain. i don't think rosemary would take too long.

i suggest a philly style for anything delicate - like lavender. i wish i'd done philly for the almond - but i'm a classic lily gilder. show me the egg yolks!

ok. back to you - fruit gelato is way lower in fat - it has a very small proportion of milk to fruit - and the fruit is generally puree rather than juice based. a gelato also has less air in it - but it can basically be made in an ice cream machine. and i have no idea how nut/non-fruit gelato manages such a high flavor to creaminess ratio - but i know it has less milk/cream.

[Badiane]

I make Nutella Ice Cream...basic vanilla with a couple of healthy scoops of Nutella melted in, then I add more Nutella near the end so it has a ripple.

For herbals and such, I infuse the milk. But beware, sometimes they get strong. I did lemongrass last week and it was nasty. Way too much lemongrass!

Similarly, with sorbets, I infuse the water.

I made this last week...excellent

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_v...earch=ice+cream

David...I am curious about the guava paste ice cream - did it have caramel saltines in it or on the side?

[chefgy]

I recently made a Honey-thyme icecream which wasn't as stunning as I had hoped (Too sweet) but was still tasty

[Behemoth]

I debated putting this in the pastry and baking forum, as it is neither pastry nor baked If moderators think it would get more responses there...

Anyway, I think this will be a fantastic way to work through all the little jars of stuff in my pantry. I had a cup of pistachios sitting in the fridge so I tried the gelato. The mixture is cooling in the fridge so we'll see how that works out. It is an old Saveur recipe but I am having some doubts about its current consistency. IMO way too thick, but I suppose I can dilute it with some milk tomorrow if need be. Anyway, will post results. The recipe is just milk, cornstarch, sugar and flavor...should definitely be adaptable for walnuts & stuff like that. Assuming it works out.

I've read about parmesan ice cream. Playing off your idea daniel, it could be kind of amusing to do a manchego ice cream with some sort of quince paste as a cheese course...

You know what I once discovered was a surprisingly good flavor combinaion? Tarragon and strawberries. The licorice thing (plus a little pepper and balsamic) really went well with the fruit. The problem was the texture of the herb wasn't that nice, I think ice cream might be just the solution. Hmm.

chefgy -- what if you added some sort of slightly salty or goaty cheese flavor? Honey, thyme and feta is a pretty popular combination in mediterranean countries.

I might have to steal the saffron ice cream idea. I love olive oil cake.

Thanks for the responses!

Edited April 15, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[FoodMan]

Anyway, I think this will be a fantastic way to work through all the little jars of stuff in my pantry. I had a cup of pistachios sitting in the fridge so I tried the gelato. The mixture is cooling in the fridge so we'll see how that works out. It is an old Saveur recipe but I am having some doubts about its current consistency. IMO way too thick, but I suppose I can dilute it with some milk tomorrow if need be. Anyway, will post results. The recipe is just milk, cornstarch, sugar and flavor...should definitely be adaptable for walnuts & stuff like that. Assuming it works out.

My first reaction . Cornstarch in ice cream is wrong, in gelato is even more wrong. I think it might taste ok but the texture is not going to be right.

now going back to your questions :

1) In Hamburg I had a great ice cream made with quark and sour cherries. I figure I can sub sour yogurt labneh for the quark. The consistency of theirs was similar to frozen yogurt, though I know quark is considerably thicker. Any idea of proportions? They also did a great nutella-flavored ice cream -- I have no idea where to start with that one.

2) the other thing I'd really like to try is ice cream with herb flavors. The White Dog restaurant in Philadelphia used to do some nice ones with flavors like geranium or rosemary. Do I infuse the herbs in the milk and then strain? Would a custard or a Philadelphia (cream) style ice cream (or something else entirely) work better? How do you give it a decent color? Then again I have an in there, maybe I will give him a call...

3) Doing fruit-flavored ice creams that are not sorbets: say, pear flavor. What kind of dairy goes in there? Proportion of dairy to juice? I think it would also be really cool to try this with tamarind or different kinds of tea. I think I read about earl grey ice cream somewhere, would love to try that.

4) Any good recipes for gelato? What is the basic difference? I have a recipe for pistachio and for chocolate gelato, would like a few other ideas, fruit or nut flavored especially.

5) Anyone try making arabic style ice creams? The gummy milk flavor would be of interest, but something Jallab or Mulberry flavored would be very nice too.

1) Labneh will work fine, I've tried it based on Alton Brown's recipe Here. Just adjust the flavor to eliminate the ginger and add as much Nutella as you like.

2) Steep the herbs in the milk/cream and like it was mentioned before, do not over do it. The flavor should be a little strong before freezing, since the cold ice cream will taste a little duller than the unfrozen stuff. I would go with a custard base, but that is my own opinion and I have no reason to back it up but personal taste. I just love the custard texture.

3)Do you have the Bouchon cookbook? He has several recipes for interesting ice creams in there including pear and prune. I have not tried any yet, but they sure sound good. I have absolutly no idea about the tea ice creams. For some reason they strike me as a little tricky.

4) For gelato you need more egg yolks to make a pretty thick custard. One recipe for Vanilla Gelato by Mario Batali uses 10 yolks and makes heavenly creamy gelato. His book Babbo also has a couple of good recipe for gelato.

5) I tried the milk ice cream that you mention, and I failed . Mainly because the "mahlab" that is essential for this is very expensive and almost impossible to find. As for other fruit flavors, they are mainly sorbets.

I have to recommend my latest favorite ice cream, it's also from Alton Brown, banana ice cream. It is very easy and totally addictive. Try it with some caramel sauce.

Hope you have fun experimenting with the ice cream maker, I sure do. Please keep us updated (especially if you crack the secert of the arabic gummy milk-mastic flavor)

Elie

[FoodMan]

BTW, forgot to ask, what kind of ice cream maker did you buy?

Elie

[CaliPoutine]

1) In Hamburg I had a great ice cream made with quark and sour cherries. I figure I can sub sour yogurt labneh for the quark. The consistency of theirs was similar to frozen yogurt, though I know quark is considerably thicker. Any idea of proportions? They also did a great nutella-flavored ice cream -- I have no idea where to start with that one.

2) the other thing I'd really like to try is ice cream with herb flavors. The White Dog restaurant in Philadelphia used to do some nice ones with flavors like geranium or rosemary. Do I infuse the herbs in the milk and then strain? Would a custard or a Philadelphia (cream) style ice cream (or something else entirely) work better? How do you give it a decent color? Then again I have an in there, maybe I will give him a call...

3) Doing fruit-flavored ice creams that are not sorbets: say, pear flavor. What kind of dairy goes in there? Proportion of dairy to juice? I think it would also be really cool to try this with tamarind or different kinds of tea. I think I read about earl grey ice cream somewhere, would love to try that.

4) Any good recipes for gelato? What is the basic difference? I have a recipe for pistachio and for chocolate gelato, would like a few other ideas, fruit or nut flavored especially.

5) Anyone try making arabic style ice creams? The gummy milk flavor would be of interest, but something Jallab or Mulberry flavored would be very nice too.

Thanks!

←

What brand did you buy? Do you mind posting or PMing me the recipe for the chocolate/pistachio gelato? Id love to try that.

[Behemoth]

The machine? Nothing fancy, just a standard Cuisinart. Crate & Barrel are selling them for $49 including a second freezer canister. Since we might be moving to Europe next year, I just wanted something that works quickly, doesn't consume a whole lot of power and won't devastate me if it burns out on a 220 transformer. (I might have waited but it seems non-industrial ice cream machines are really scarce in Europe.)

Actually, I threw some junk in it this morning to see how it worked. I sometimes make "lemon yogurt" for breakfast using plain yogurt and lemon curd. I had a little of each which I was going to eat for breakfast anyway, so I just dumped it in the machine first. The texture was not good (gritty) but I kind of expected that since I didn't add anything else. But the machine worked fine, and only took 30 minutes -- a far cry from the noisy salt and ice monster of my youth. You just have to make sure everything is really good and cold before running the machine.

Calipoutine, do you want me to PM you the recipe before or after seeing whether it works?

Cornstarch might not be a bad thing -- the mix tasted quite nice, actually. Had that weird unctious thing which was fairly authentic. We'll see -- again using stuff I need to use up anyway, so I won't be heartbroken if it doesn't work out.

My dad did some research on arabic ice creams a while back for some reason. I will see if he knows any tricks.

[Behemoth]

Oh also -- I don't have the Bouchon cookbook. It's on my eventual wish list but I don't have the time for really precise stuff these days.

But Pierre Herme mentions that he serves "Suzy's cake" with ginger ice cream, but he doesn't provide a recipe. Any idea how that might be made?

[M. Lucia]

I have the same ice cream maker, though I am afraid it is crammed in the back of the freezer and hasn't been used in a while.

In my experience, I prefer to make milk based (as opposed to egg based) ice creams in this machine. Something about the capabilities of the machine, I felt the egg based ice creams had to thick/heavy a mouth feel.

I remember reading something similar on another thread here- I will see if I can dig it up.

As for your gelato recipe- it should traditionally have egg yolks.

For ginger ice cream (I got totally addicted 2 years ago) steep your milk or cream with some fresh grated ginger briefly, then strain and proceed with your recipe as usual. Add some crystalized ginger bits while it is in the machine.

Here's what I do for fig ice cream (which could probably be done with other fruits):

1 lb figs (original recipe says to peel- I don't)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups creme fraiche or heavy cream

3/4 cup superfine sugar

Scald the milk and set aside to cool.

Pulse the figs in a processor, you don't want to liquify them- leave some chunks.

Strain the milk and combine with the figs. Whisk in the creme fraiche and sugar and whisk until fully encorporated.

Freeze according to manufacturers directions.

I have collected several recipes for bouza ala haleeb but have never made it. I can look them up if you'd like, but I know the ingredients usually include milk, mastic, salep and rose water.

Also, I've been meaning to try P. Herme's chocolate ice cream- Elie's looked really good.

[Behemoth]

Also, I've been meaning to try P. Herme's chocolate ice cream- Elie's looked really good.

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thanks for the recipes! PH's chocolate ice cream (and the sorbet) are definitely high on the list, but I would just feel too guilty making them while A is still out of town

[CaliPoutine]

I bought the same machine for my honey for V-day.

We made ice cream once, a triple vanilla egg based. It was good, but very heavy. BTW, I ordered the vanilla beans from www.saffron.com. 40 beans for 24.75( shipping included)

[Daniel]

I was recently at moto in chicago.. There they served this shot of liquid they called liquid donut.. I believe it was condensed milk, powdered sugar and crispy cream donuts.. The shot tasted exactly like a crispy cream. I dont know how they did it, but it was amazing.. Maybe blended the whole thing and then strained solid parts out. IF you took this and froze it, i think you would have a beautiful thing.

[DiH]

Also, I've been meaning to try P. Herme's chocolate ice cream- Elie's looked really good.

←

thanks for the recipes! PH's chocolate ice cream (and the sorbet) are definitely high on the list, but I would just feel too guilty making them while A is still out of town

←

I made PH's chocolate ice cream the other night -- outstanding!! Lucky for me that Hubby's out of town or I'd have to share!

Di

[Darcie B]

I love basil ice cream and have been converting everyone I know to its deliciousness. Here's the recipe I use:

2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

4 large egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

Puree 1 cup milk with basil leaves in blender. Add basil mixture to remaining 1 cup milk and scald.

Beat sugar with yolks until mixture turns pale yellow and thickens so that it falls in ribbons.

Temper yolk mixture and add to milk in saucepan. Heat to 180 deegrees. Stir in cream. Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer (optional).

Cool to 40 degrees and process in ice cream maker.

You can just steep leaves if you like but I like the color and flavor when I blend them with the milk. I forget whether I embellished the recipe with a couple of teaspoons of vanilla. I probably did just because I love vanilla.

Edited for bad grammar.

Edited April 17, 2005 by Darcie B (log)

[tpogue@comcast.net]

I make a dynamite roasted plum ice cream. Roast the plums, adding sugar if needed. I roast split plums at 425F ro 450F until nicely soft and caramelized. Puree in the blender (leave the skins in the mix) and add to your custard and freeze as usual.It's terrific and most people have never had an ice cream this intense with fruit but still creamy.

terry

[Behemoth]

Thanks for all the recipes everyone. I am really looking forward to trying a bunch of them once the spouse is back in town (I need another person to be eating this stuff with me -- I'd rather spend my cash on cooking equipment than a new wardrobe.)

Oh, as anticipated, the heretical gelato recipe, while not completely disgusting, is not something I plan on making again. It was kind of dense and chewy, without (duh) having any richness to it from the yolks. Gotta wonder what Saveur was thinking, I thought they of all people would be fairly reliable.

Edited April 17, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[Daniel]

I love basil ice cream and have been converting everyone I know to its deliciousness. Here's the recipe I use:

2 cups whole milk 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

4 large egg yolks 

1 cup heavy cream 

Puree 1 cup milk with basil leaves in blender. Add basil mixture to remaining 1 cup milk and scald.

Beat sugar with yolks until mixture turns pale yellow and thickens so that it falls in ribbons.

Temper yolk mixture and add to milk in saucepan. Heat to 180 deegrees. Stir in cream. Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer (optional).

Cool to 40 degrees and process in ice cream maker. 

You can just steep leaves if you like but I like the color and flavor when I blend them with the milk. I forget whether I embellished the recipe with a couple of teaspoons of vanilla. I probably did just because I love vanilla.

Edited for bad grammar.

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Hmm a basil, sundried tomato, and ricotta ice cream sandwich or fake little pizza.. Might be good or gross.

[FoodMan]

I have collected several recipes for bouza ala haleeb but have never made it. I can look them up if you'd like, but I know the ingredients usually include milk, mastic, salep and rose water.

Very true, and the salep or "sahlab" is the tricky ingredient. First off, in the US is is impossible to find the real thing, and supposedly it is pretty expensive.

BTW, mastic is the devil's spawn . It tastes great but sticks like nothing else and is almost impossible to clean up. I use it in certain applications and try either not to stir after it is added or to actually stir with a disposable utensil. I made a very good Lebanese apple/walnut/mastic preserve, but the empty have to be thrown away because of it, instead opf reused.

Elie