Here's a list of links to various places on the site where you can find more information and tips about how to make ice cream. Also, I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments that you might have as well.
- Recipes to use up leftover egg whites
- How long does ice cream last?
- Tips for making homemade ice cream softer
- Recommended equipment to make ice cream
- Making ice cream without a machine
- The ice cream shops of Paris
- Meet your maker: buying an ice cream machine
- Compendium of recipes for ice creams & sorbets
- What is gelato?
- How to making the perfect caramel
I am cracking up! In my home those would be baby spoons. :-) My last 2 children used "Baskin Robbins" spoons exclusively for their baby spoons. Bright pink and small and very safe for their teeth if they bite them by mistake. We always had a drawer full and if I ran out I was happy to go get more, along with the ice cream of course!
We just got a gelato shop in our city and we love it. Those little spoons are the perfect size. Anyway, I have a question that I haven't been able to find the answer to: How do you know when ice cream is done? I seem to overchurn every batch I make. It's still delicious of course, but it coats your mouth and spoon... What do you watch for? Thanks!
Thank you for your tips! Could you please address how to keep fruit chunks in fruited ice creams soft and delicious? Mine attempts are always great on Day 1, but after a night in the freezer the fruit turns into icy chunks and the texture is never the same.
Thanks!
Becca: The two kinds of machines I use, one is an inexpensive model with a canister you pre-freeze and the other has a built-in compressor, both stop automatically when the ice cream is done. If yours doesn't do that, the ice cream should have the consistency of thick mashed potatoes and will hold a shape if you poke your finger it it. (Turn the machine off before you try that, though!)
Trish: Since fruit is mostly water, and water freezes pretty hard, chunks of fresh fruit & berries added to ice cream will freeze into solid chunks, which some folks don't mind.
Either plan to eat your ice cream soon after freezing, or macerate the fruit pieces or berries in sugar and/or alcohol (such as kirsch, rum, or vodka) for around 30 minutes before adding it to the mix. Both will imbibe the fruit and help keep it softer. (You should drain any excess liquid away, saving it for something else, before adding the fruit.)
David - the pic of the salted butter caramel ice cream in your "tips" post is so great. And it reminded me of a question I had about that particular ice cream. When I make it, after it has been in the freezer for two or three days, there seems to be a layer of caramel that collects on the bottom of the container. Ever heard of that? Any ideas as to why that's happening? Regardless, that's such a great ice cream - thanks for the recipe.
Erik: Sound like another reason to race to the bottom!
In that ice cream, sometimes the little pieces of caramel melt into gooey nuggets, which I love. But if they're pooling at the bottom it sounds like they're all sinking down.
I would make sure the ice cream is churned enough, so it's firm and can support the caramel bits (although that ice cream is softer than others due to the caramel), and you might want to freeze it in a shallow container so that it chills as quickly as possible.
I was one of the lucky few who snapped up the $20 cuisinart ice cream makers on amazon a few months ago. I've been very busy trying out lots of different flavors with my children and husband as willing and discerning taste testers! I think I'm going to try your roquefort and honey recipe this weekend (and it's all for me, the rest won't eat it) can you recommend a wine pairing? Thanks
How funny. I just posted my recipe for green tea ice cream yesterday. My sister in law asked what machine I had and I sent her your page on "buying an ice cream machine". I also have the big Cuisinart (the self freezing one) that I got on sale a few years ago at Williams-Sonoma for $200. It currently is listed at $299. The only drawback to me is that it is so noisy. I keep it in the bedroom so I can close the door when it's running!
Okay, I know I'm supposed to make my own, but I've discovered a new favorite that you can buy, oh so easily! Next time you go to BioCoop look to see if they have Gildo Rachelli ice cream (green container with a silly cupid on it). It's Demeter certified vanilla ice cream that I think is delish! I'm sitting here eating it out of the container and looking at the ad on the sidebar "How to Lose Belly Fat." Hmm sure isn't by eating ice cream!!!
Shira: I recommend port or a sweet white wine, like sauternes, gerwurtraminer , Muscat, or Barzac. But if you ask at your local liquor store, there might be something equally-delicious that's more local.
Tina: That machine is noisy (I have the same one) and keep mine in the bedroom, too! It does do a really good job, though, and for the price, it's a great deal. Last year Amazon had reconditioned ones for only $119, but they got snapped up pretty quickly.
btw: I do recommend buying a back up dasher. They're only $7 and good to have on hand in case they accidentially break, which can sometimes happen. And having an extra on hand is good insurance!
I've been tempted to make chocolate macarons with the leftover egg whites (as you suggest). Can I chop or crumble them into a batch of ice cream or would that just be too convenient?
I have been making multiple flavors again from your wonderful Perfect Scoop for the last few months. And my reputation for providing great ice cream is spreading, although I give you all the credit. Friends mention the fruit flavors in particular. Always tough deciding to go with one of the 20 or so absolute favorites, or try a new one. New this year for me are the Plum & Apricot i.c. (made sorbet in 2007) and the Creme Fraiche---all winners. But friends expect me to have at least 5-6 flavors available at all times; wonder how that happened. Off to have some now. Thanks for the inspiration!
the blue one seems to poke out from the picture :D
Hello David- I have been making ice cream - machine and not for a while now. I have a nice bourbon ice cream recipe and recently tried to make "ice cream" for some vegan friends of mine using coconut milk instead of dairy products. It came out pretty great and I wanted to know if you have vegan substitutes for creamy variety ice cream instead of sorbet, etc. Or if you had any ideas, thanks-Julie Barrett
Hi David, thanks for all your tips. Do you have any ideas for a vegan ice cream or gelato? Have you ever tried soy milk?
Thanks for the tips, David. Do you have any tips for avoiding ice crystals in ice cream?
Ana: I haven't much experience with soy milk but from what I'm told, it best to eat ice creams made with soy and rice milk shortly after they're made, since they can get icy due to the lower fat. I've heard there are soy-based cream substitutes, but I haven't seen them here in France so I can't advise.
One tip I would say would be to make Philadelphia-style (no custard) ice creams, and use a soy-based cream cheese (Tofutti makes one) in place of some of the milk called for in the recipe, (using soy or rice milk for the rest) which have natural gums in them, which will improve the texture of the ice cream.
Dragon: Ice crystals can be caused by a couple of things. One is if you've reduced the fat of a recipe; like if you use milk, which has more water, in place of cream. Another is if the scoop you're using has water on it, and when you re-dip, those crystals freeze. Be sure to lay a piece of plastic directly on top of the ice cream when it's in the freezer, to prevent icy crystals from collecting on the top.
Also, be certain to let the mixture chill thoroughly before churning. The longer the churning time, the more likely there will be a build-up of ice crystals in your ice cream. So you want to shortest churning time possible and making sure the custard or base is super-cold will really help.
Do you have an excellent basic blueberry ice cream recipe? All the blueberry ice cream recipes in The Perfect Scoop contain other flavors such as banana or cheesecake. (btw, I owed the library $11 in fines for that book so I broke down and bought a copy.)
Thanks
Robin
Hi Robin: Because cooked domestic blueberries often don't have a lot of flavor, once cooked, I prefer them in Blueberry Frozen Yogurt (page 88), so the tang of the yogurt accents the sweet blueberries. You could try that recipe substituting a mix of cream and sour cream for the yogurt: I like to use sour cream since it gives fruit ice creams, that aren't custard-based, a creamier texture.
Glad to hear you're a good citizen and supporting your local library!
; )
David - I love your ice cream book and fear that your recipe for the fresh mint ice cream with stracciatella has forever ruined mint chocolate chip from anywhere else!
I do have a question about how to improve the texture of the ice cream. I follow your recipes with no substitutions for the whole milk or cream, chill the mixture overnight and, when the long wait to churn is finally over, the texture fresh out of the ice cream maker is great. However, the next evening any leftovers that I managed to save have an icy, grainy texture. Is this a result of over churning?
Also, I have a friend who is often in Paris on extended trips for work. One one trip, he and his partner discovered a wonderful dessert of lemon sorbet topped with vodka. Upon returning to the states they haven't been able to find lemon sorbet in order to make this at home. When they saw your book on my counter they immediately requested a batch of lemon sorbet. We had a wonderful time taste testing which vodka worked best and we were wondering if there are any tricks to getting a creamier, smoother sorbet more similar to sherbet without having to add milk? Is my slower churning home ice cream maker going to be the limitation?
Thanks so much for your wonderful books and blog!
Amanda
wow, I'm so grateful for that list of egg white recipes!
I've been feeling guilty about all those egg whites that sit in my fridge for a week before I dump them in the trash. I think it's a little too humid right now for any sort of meringue, but angel food cake would do the trick--especially since we're in the middle of berry season!
I made the Blueberry Frozen Yogurt recipe using 1 cup of Greek yogurt (I love that stuff) and 1/2 cup of half and half (anymore half and half and it would have had an adverse effect on tomorrow's coffee). I pint I left plain (for my heathen children) and the other one I stirred some grape nuts cereal in. YUM!! We all loved it. My 3 year old was twice as happy because we used the immersion blender to make it.
Next time I will try it with heavy cream, or rather when I plan ahead I will. Could be months!!
Thanks
Robin
David - As a newbie to the ice cream making game I have to say how much I love your site! The information is so helpful and easy to understand. After three days pouring over your recipes and blog, I am off to buy your book this weekend. However, I do have a question for you - I tried making my first (ever) batch of pomegranate gelato last night. My recipe (from the Epicurious website) included heavy cream, whole milk, cornstarch, sugar (which I substituted agave nectar), POM, and PAMA (a liquor). I fear that after heating the mixture I didn't let it chill long enough (a measly 1.5 hours in an ice bath) because it was still in pure liquid form after 35 minutes in the ice cream machine. Or maybe the sugar substitute or alcohol (about 1/3 cup) played a part. My question is - I poured the mixture into a bowl and put in the refrigerator, can I try to put this back in the ice cream maker for a second go? I have also fully re-froze the canister for tonight as well. Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Kristin: I can't really answer questions about recipes from other sources, although I know people in Bon Appétit's test kitchen and their recipes are pretty thoroughly tested.
But I can offer a few tips:
-Agave is somewhat sweeter than white sugar, so I would reduce the amount by 25-30%.
-Letting the mixture chill really, really well cuts the freezing time considerably. And some machines take longer to churn than others.
-1/3 cup of alcohol is quite a bit, but it depends on the rest of the recipe and strength of the liqueur.
You might want to add a bit of whole milk, say 1/4-1/3 cup to the mixture, and try refreezing it. Good luck!
Amanda: You should check the post linked above about keeping ice cream soft. And most machines nowadays turn off when the ice cream is done to prevent over-churning. Check your owner's manual to see if that's true for your model.
I have some amazing nectarines and I want to try out your recipe. You swap sour cream for eggs and I wonder what effect that has? I love the effect that the eggs have on the texture and flavor,why not use eggs in the fruit based iced creams?
Thanks!
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan: I use sour cream in my fruit-based ice creams for a couple of reasons:
1. It's easier!
People who haven't made a custard can be hesitant to give it a try. So in instances where I don't think it makes a huge amount of difference (like in recipes where the flavor is fruit), I prefer to offer a recipe that's more accessible to the widest number of people.
2. Flavor.
I like the taste of sour cream with fruit. It's tangy flavor offsets the sweetness of perfect fruits beautifully.
3. Texture.
Sour cream has some natural gums in it which give the finished ice cream a nice texture. You can substitute heavy cream for sour cream in any of those recipes, if you wish.
Happy churning!
David, My husband and I are starting to sell homemade ice cream at our local Farmers Market. My questions has to do with blending the melted chocolate with the creams. Once I have the chocolate nelted and start to mix into the cream I get little specks of chocolat instead of a true blend. What can I do differently to avoid this?
Thanks
David, it seems that gourmet soft serve ice cream is everywhere these days - everywhere in NYC and on the west coast, that is. I live in Philadelphia and want to make my own. Any recommendations or recipes? I suspect there is more to it than simply serving the ice cream straight from the machine without ripening it in the freezer; the article I read in the NYTimes mentioned natural stabilizers like carageenan, guar gum, lecithin, agar agar or invert sugar. Any help you could give me would be MOST appreciated!
Here's a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/dining/23soft.html?8dpc
P.S. I doubt I could qualify as your biggest fan because you have so many ardent admirers, but I have been besotted with you and your blog and your recipes since I first stumbled across your recipe for kouign amman. You make such a contribution in this world - thank you and please keep it up!
hi Laura: I've never made ice cream that was specifically intended as 'soft serve', but I know that Cuisinart sells a machine specifically for that purpose and perhaps their website offers some recipes. I would imagine any ice cream base would work, though.
I did read that article, and although they didn't mention it, a lot of places make soft-serve style ice cream so they can get around certain regulations which requires places that make and store ice cream to have a dairy license.
Glad you're enjoying the blog & thanks for your kind words, too!
hi Laura: I've never made ice cream that was specifically intended as 'soft serve', but I know that Cuisinart sells a machine specifically for that purpose and perhaps their website offers some recipes. I would imagine any ice cream base would work, though.
I did read that article, and although they didn't mention it, a lot of places make soft-serve style ice cream so they can get around certain regulations which requires places that make and store ice cream to have a dairy license.
Glad you're enjoying the blog & thanks for your kind words, too!
Gostaria de receber a receita da pasta de pistache
Just want to say that I really enjoy reading your blog - esp everything you have to say about making ice cream. Thank you.
Dear David,
I am enjoying the cookbook, The Perfect Scoop. However, I have tried two times to make the Leche Merengada without success. The only pasturized egg whites that I could find were in a quart egg carton containing only pasturized egg whites. Each time I waited until they were room temperature and then tried to whip them. In both cases, they stayed liquid and refused to whip up. I know how to whip egg whites and have never had this problem with normal egg whites. What do you think might have been the problem, and what would you propose as a solution? I love meringue, so I'm eager to make this recipe work.
thanks.
Hi Lucy: Certain brands of egg whites aren't suitable for whipping, and generally say that on the packaging. It's something I learned the hard way, when doing a demonstration in front of a lot of people, as I watched the whites slosh around in the mixing bowl for an eternity... So search out a brand that is suitable for whipping in your area.
(Deb-El are powdered egg whites which the company says works for meringues, although I personally haven't used them.)
Interesting, according to the American Egg Board Website, only one in 20,000 eggs may have salmonella and they say that the average person "...might encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years." And if using raw eggs in a recipe, it's best to buy them from a trusted source, using the freshest you can find.
Still, for those who, for health reason, wish to avoid eating raw eggs, the pasteurized ones offer a good alternative to fresh. But read the label first.
Hi David,
on another forum (cuisinartstandmixer dawt com) some believe that you are using the kitchenaid icecream accessory. but since you live in 220V/50Hz world, I have some doubt because kitchenaid website says that this accesory does fit 220V/50Hz mixers. Can you confirm?
Thx
I don't quite understand the question, but the European ice cream attachment for the KitchenAid is different than the one of the US market, due to EU regulations on small appliances and safety features. My Cuisinart ICE 50 is indeed 220V, which I had sent over from the UK. -DL
My question was for Kitchenaid mixers, not cuisinart. On the Kitchenaid website, they say the icecream maker accessory only fits US mixers, not Europeans.
on another forum, some people said you were using a kitchenaid mixer and a kitchenaid icecream maker accessory. Since you live in Paris, I was wondering how you manage to get the kitchenaid icecream maker accessory work in France.
But you answer seems to imply that there is also an European version of the Ice Cream maker. My local Dealer in the Netherlands told me the icecream maker does not exist for europeans mixers.
M
David:
I just returned from my honeymoon in Bali where I bought the most delicious vanilla beans EVER. My soul intention is to make vanilla ice cream with my brand new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. However, I have NEVER done this before... Do you have a fool-proof recipe so that I don't waste my precious beans in my novice effort?
Hi David - I've been loving trying out all of the recipes in your book, and this week it's rice gelato. The mixture is cooling now in the fridge, and I must say it took some willpower not to just eat it straight out of the oven since it smelled so amazing! I want to make the sour cheries in grand marnier that you recommend as a pairing - do you use unsweetened or sweetened dried cherries? I realized that I already have a bag of dried tart cherries that have added sugar, and was wondering if I needed to tweak the recipe to use these?
Thanks!
S
Denise: Yes, all the ice cream recipes in my book, The Perfect Scoop, work very well. There's two different vanilla ice cream recipes, one is custard-based and the other isn't. Happy churning!
Sarah: That's a great gelato, although depending on how cold your freezer is, it may be more or less time to come to just the right temperature for scooping. So plan to take it out prior to serving, giving it sufficient time. Either sour cherries are fine to use. If unsweetened are used, you can always add a bit of sugar or honey if they're not sweet enough, although there's already some sugar and Grand Marnier in the recipe. (But I do like mine on the tart side, personally.)
Matthieu: There is indeed a KitchenAid ice cream attachment which fits the French models, but I don't know anything about other countries. Visit their Website to get in touch with the company headquarters in the Netherlands.
David - thanks for the quick reply. The dried cherries taste sweet enough to me (I like tart also!) so is it ok to omit the sugar altogether?
I'm new to making ice cream as an adult, although years ago I would faithfully take my turn at crushing ice and mixing it with rock salt when my mother's inspiration for ice cream took hold.
My first attempt recently involved liquid nitrogen and my KitchenAid mixer, a combo that I can recommend wholeheartedly if one has the time and money to ferret out the gas (try a welding supply shop). The liquid nitrogen freezes stuff fast -- it takes about five minutes -- and the ice cream itself is amazingly creamy. In my three tries at it I never had a problem, even when I used a custard straight from the stove. Too, making ice cream in front of your guests makes for a fun event -- as the nitrogen boils off, great clouds of smoky, cold steam waft away, like so much "witch's brew." It's so much more fun than my slow, boring KitchenAid ice cream canister attachment...
Keep in mind to read up on liquid nitrogen safety, as it's really, really cold, colder than anything occurring naturally on Earth. Misuse can cause injury, just as misuse of boiling water can.
Hi David. If anyone can answer my question, it must be you. I think that lemon-mascarpone ice cream sounds divine, but can't find a recipe online or in any of my books. You have a lemon-buttermilk in Perfect Scoop; I'm tempted to remove the buttermilk, add mascarpone and give that a whirl, so to speak. But, have you come across any recipes for my search?
Thanks!
Julie
Hi Julie: I'm almost certain you could adapt that recipe, using mascarpone, although I haven't tried it...because I love buttermilk so much. But there's no reason not to give it a spin! -dl
Hi David. My question is actually about ice cream containers. I would love to give the unique ice cream flavors to some of my friends, but I don't necessarily want to worry about getting the containers back. Do you know where I can find just plain pint or quart sized empty ice cream containers that I don't have to order in quantities of 500? I've been looking on the internet for a while and haven't been able to find much of anything.
Thanks for your help.
Shannon
hi Shannon: I go to restaurant supply stores and buy sturdy plastic containers, which aren't super-cheap, but they're not expensive. And I know they'll get re-used. I buy them in packs of 50 and just about every city has a restaurant supply shop. (And there's plenty online.)
I know that companies are selling sturdy plastic containers, like these Glad-ware ones, which are inexpensive and reusable.
Also those paper Chinese food pails with metal handles work well, too!
David:
Just bought an ice cream machine. Frustration kicked in. I bought the wooden old fashion bucket with the motor and also manual. I just did my first attempt, and it was a disaster i think. After 40-50 rotating with the motor the mix came out almost exactly the same consistency it went in.
The machine didn't came with instructions so i filled it around with ice, salt and water (i think my mistake).
I placed the watery mix now on the freezer to see if at least it gets hard a bit.
David, i think i've never been so frustrated with something. I make French Bread, Roast Coffee, and this is by far my hardest one...... Ice Cream.....
Well i guess ill give it one more try later then.... no sure.... I don't know what i did wrong...
Francis: I haven't used rock salt machine for many decades (reallly!) but agree that you shouldn't add water; it should just be rock salt and ice. The bag of rock salt, or the instructions with the machine, should say exactly what proportions work best.
Also make sure your mixture doesn't have too much sugar or alcohol in it, two things that can inhibit freezing as well.
David - Always a big fan of your recipes. I'm trying to come up with a more appealing version of "cookies'n'cream" ice cream for a baby shower I am hosting and wanted to get your advice on which ice cream and/or mix-ins you would recommend? I didn't quite realize that cookies'n'cream is based on the Oreo concept....
Thanks in advance,
Mariangela
Hi David,
I own a small homemade ice cream shop in Chelsea, Quebec, Canada. We make all our own ice cream that we only sell at our shop. I found your book last winter, while we were closed for the winter, and have been pouring over it ever since. -Lots of inspirational recipes.
I am always looking for ways to improve our ice cream, and so I am considerting turning to pasturizing my own ice cream mix. At the moment I buy my mix from a small local dairy which makes life much easier for me; but I'm convinced that if I pasturize my own mix I'll have more control over the finished product and therefore a better finished product. Do you know anything about pasturizer machines?
Chris
Hi Chris: Since Italians usually pasteurize their ice cream (by law) you might want to check a source that sells gelato-making equipment. I don't have any specific ones in mind, but a Google search will likely yield results. Glad you're enjoying the book!
Mariangela: I don't have any recommendations for baby showers, but I like one can't go wrong with chocolate truffles folded into ice cream : )
Hello David!
How are you? Did you spend a good time here in Italy. I hope so. :)
I write you because I have the idea to prepare a dessert with these ingredients: white chocolate, white yogurt and mascarpone (typical Italian cheese ideal for making desserts). Can you give me some idea/advice?
Thanks a lot
ilaria :)
in my past attempts at making vanilla ice cream, it often comes out with a subtle metallic taste to it...i sometimes find this with store bought ice creams as well....is it just me, or is this a result of the preparation method?
Ilaria: When creating an ice cream recipe, I try to keep the sugar at around 25% of the volume, so you can use those proportions when figuring out what balance of those other ingredients works best for you.
kim: Don't know why you'd get a metallic taste from all (store-bought and homemade) vanilla ice cream. You may be a supertaster, and there's something in vanilla that you're especially sensitive to.
David, I'm wondering if you have a recipe for pumpkin ice cream? This time of year, I love all things pumpkin, and came up short flipping through my well-worn copy of The Perfect Scoop. I could experiment with the spices, but am at a loss for where to start on proportions for the actual pumpkin puree. Any thoughts, or could you point me in a direction?
katy: Try the Sweet Potato Ice Cream (page 67) replacing pumpkins for the potatoes (although if you don't tell anyone, they probably won't know.) And maple-glazed pecans are the icing on the cake!