We’re staring lovingly at a holiday weekend and I hope that means you have some time to rest and play. I been crafting and making batch after batch of ice cream this week. Two things, not necessarily on my Summer Bucket List, but rather summery and fulfilling nonetheless. At some point I’ll show you all of the linens I’ve shibori dyed (some with more success that others), and all of the book I’ve bound. I’m doing a lot of crafts I’m really not very good at, but it feels deeply good to try new techniques and exercise my craft brain.
But… a girl’s gotta eat. Ice Cream is filling my freezer and my belly and ice cream is something I can share with confidence.
Do you have an ice cream maker? Can I convince you to get one… or dust yours off? I’d like to try.
• Let’s first talk about the equipment. Here’s what I use: Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker. Listen, I know this is an expensive machine. It’s a self-freezing ice cram maker meaning you don’t have to keep track of a frozen bowl in the freezer, or worry about that bowl melting while you’re trying to churn your ice cream. I’ve had a lot of success with this machine. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of kitchen appliance…. and it makes ICE CREAM so really, it’s a worthwhile investment.
I’ve also had success with this Cuisinart 1.5 quart Ice Cream Maker. This is an ice cream maker with an insulated bowl that you keep in the freezer. The ice cream churns to thick and cold and the custard spins in the frozen bowl. But- there is a trick to these bowls. Essentially the bowls are melting as soon as they come out of the freezer so I’ve found that really… 30 minutes is the most an ice cream can freeze in this machine. After 30 minutes the ice bowl just isn’t strong enough to keep freezing the ice cream with much success and you’re spinning with diminishing returns. For this reason, it’s important to make sure the base is well chilled before it hits the bowl.
• Storing ice cream is also important. Fresh ice cream going into a straight up tupperware container isn’t ideal because it often makes scooping a chore. We’ve come so far, we should have the right storage. I love paper pint containers because they make me feel like I can plop down on the couch and eat as much ice cream as I’d like… perks of being a grown adult with an ice cream maker(!!) – they can also be rinsed and recycled. Folks have also liked these Tovolo Scoopable Containers that store easily in the freezer.
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• We’re going to need some recipes, right? I use 4 ice cream books:
- Food 52’s Ice Cream and Friends : inspired recipes + toppings. I’ve got Olive Oil Gelato in the freezer now and Burnt Toast Ice Cream coming up soon!
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home : a good mix of egg custard recipes and no-egg recipes plus solid technique tips
- The Perfect Scoop : years ago I made the Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream from this book and it was incredible!
- Ample Hills Creamery : so fun! Think: Chocolate Milk + Cookies and ice cream with cold cereal.
• Some of my favorite recipes from around the Internet:
Melissa Clark’s Classic Ice Cream – it really is the perfect proportion of cream to yolk.
Cream Cheese Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream – have you cake and eat your ice cream, too.
Cinnamon Toast Milk Ice Cream – I’m such a sucker for cereal and cold milk.
Salty Honey Ice Cream – Salt is key!
A very easy recipe for sorbet:
Whole Lemon Strawberry Sorbet – Start by coarsely chopping a whole lemon. Peel, pith – all. Remove as many of the seeds as you can. Place the lemon chunks in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add 2 cups of sugar. Whirl until the mixture is well combined and mostly smooth. Pour the sugary lemon mixture into a medium bowl.
Without washing the bowl, add two pounds of strawberries, hulled and lightly chopped if they’re giant. You can also use frozen berries that are mostly thawed. Whirl until completely smooth, removing any bits of strawberry that are stubborn and don’t want to blend.
Pour the strawberry mixture into the lemon mixture. Add a dash of Campari or gin or nothing at all. Freeze in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen through. Spoon into a freezer container and chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Easy breezy! Enjoy!
If you don’t have an ice cream maker and you just don’t have the desire or counter space… I understand, I do. Consider:
- Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
- and because I seem to have a thing with toasted marshmallows: Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Cake with salted caramel. Store bought ice cream certainly isn’t a crime.
- Shutterbean’s Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
- Saltine Cracker – Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches – with a whipped cream no-churn ice cream!
- Billy and friends make some of the most clever popsicles for #popsicleweek!
- My sister Lauren’s ice cream in Seattle: Sweet Lo’s Ice Cream. Literally the best and I’m not even biased at all.
Clearly I just want you to ice cream. I hope this inspires. If nothing else, I hope you go out for ice cream tonight.
xxo Joy
Suzuki Pho Quang
your post so helpful … thanks all
Laura
Yes to Jeni’s!! I’m fortunate enough to live within 2 hours of multiple Jeni’s scoop shops, but I also love, love , love making her ice creams at home. Roasted strawberry buttermilk, Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso and brown butter almond brittle are favorites. They definitely take a little extra work but they’re so worth it.
Tracy
This post makes me so happy. Ice cream is my very favorite dessert and I have an ice cream maker! Cinnamon toast milk ice cream sounds amazing!
Peppermint Dolly
Massive yums all round!!
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Nicole
While I would love an ice cream maker to try all these recipes my husband can’t be convinced! But thankfully I live in Seattle and can get your sisters ice cream and it is, in fact, THE BEST!!!! Yay for Sweet Lo’s!
Paige Flamm
This ice cream looks amazing! I need it in my life!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Margaret Pardue
Bringing a pint of homemade ice cream to a summer picnic or dinner party as a host gift is my go-to! I don’t know why I’ve never considered stocking those paper pint containers before. That would seriously up my game from old/mismatched/unsightly tupperware. Great tip!
Feestzaal
I got your tips and techniques to make ice-cream at the right time. I will surely try them soon. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Amanda
I’ve been working my way through the Jeni’s cookbook this summer!! Most recently Blueberry Lavender :) Loving your photos!
Jeanne
Your “JOY” nail is adorable!!!
Mara
Just added Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home and the Tovolo Ice Cream tubs to my Amazon cart : ) Also, those nails!! Absolutely LOVE your manicure (hopefully it’s not too weird that I’m going on about your nails when this is an ice cream post)!!!
Peter Oluoch
I love icecreams. So so much. I am salivating right now. Peter Oluoch, http://vc.uonbi.ac.ke
Catering in Den Haag
That look so delicious! Tasty pictures to! Thanks for sharing!
Maryalene
Someone needs to make a jumbo sized ice cream maker for those of us with big families. 1.5 quarts doesn’t cut it for 7 people!
Annie
Ice cream is my favorite food group! I can’t wait to try these recipes and tips! Thanks for sharing, Joy!
Kelly Vaughan
This post couldn’t have come at a better time! I’m taking an ice cream class at Sur La Table today and then am going to try out my new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. Will be sure to follow your tips and stock up on your book recommendations!
Happy 4th!
Kelly Vaughan
https://kellyinthekitchenblog.wordpress.com/
Jenn
Joy, what advice could you offer a chronic overchurner?? I babysit it but since I always do it I’m not sure I’m looking for the proper clues of when to stop.
Also, second the brown sugar cream cheese love. Favorite!
rahul
This is what I’ve been waiting for, the recipes and photos look amazing and now I can easily make it by himself. Thanks for sharing.
Lori
I made your Brown-Sugar Cream Cheese Ice Cream last weekend! ?
Taste of France
I made some no-churn ice cream last summer (basically whipped cream–the real thing–frozen with fruit), and it was quite delicious.
Alison
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, there are lots of no churn recipes out there. I’ve had great success with this sweet potato one, though maybe that’s weird at this time of year – http://www.the-broken-bread.com/new-blog/2015/12/27/no-churn-sweet-potato-ice-cream. Most of them use sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream.
I also have this semifreddo on my list for this weekend – https://food52.com/recipes/23179-brad-spence-s-salted-butter-semifreddo. I am planning to brown the butter, because duh.
Chrissy
You’re just an enabler! I also have Jeni’s and just bought “My name is Ice Cream” this summer, and I had to cut myself off for a few weeks because at one point I had 4 flavors in my fridge! I live alone with my cat (and he only eats vanilla)!. Anyway, I plan to pick it up after the 4th (when all current flavors have been exhausted) to try more…and maybe get a new book while I’m at it. Thanks for the inspiration (and enabling).
Jamie
“I live along with my cat (and he only eats vanilla)!” Oh, that made my day. Maybe keep a list on the fridge so you don’t lose track of what you want to try, so you don’t have 12 pints going? Actually, now that there’s space again in my freezer for my kitchenaid ice cream bowl I’m not sure I’ll have any control… = )
Chrissy
Well, it’s hard because you know, cream and milk come in quantities where you really need to make 2 batches of ice cream per shopping trip. It’s a slippery slope :)
joythebaker
Absolutely true.
Chloe Hayfield
Oh, this looks delicious! I may just have to make myself some :) x
http://chloeharriets.com/
Sara
Yay ice cream! I need more details please on the fig leaf ice cream you posted on your Insta-stories yesterday (unless you are doing a separate post on it). What does fig milk taste like? Somebody (neighbor? bird? our dog?) keeps eating the figs on our little tree before they ripen and I would at the very least love to make use of a few leaves.