Ice-Cream

[JillStephens7]

I made ice-cream for the first time this afternoon, as a surprise treat for OH to go with apple cake for pudding tonight, yum yum.

The recipe was 4 egg yolks, 100g sugar, 250ml milk, 250ml double cream & 2 tsp vanilla extract (well just a cap full actually as I ran out).

I wonder if anyone knows whether ice-cream recipes stand up to much change? Is it a scientific equation that only works exactly as it is, or do the proportions (up to a point obviously) affect the richness rather than whether it works or not?

I wondered if I'd only had 3 egg yolks would it have worked? and whether the ratio of milk to cream needs to be particularly precise?

Sorry if this has been covered before, I searched the site but didn't find anything and wondered if anyone knew before I embark on a series of foolhardy experiments!

I would be interested to hear what other people's experiences are (sorry I am rambling, will stop now )
Jill

[Thomzo]

I mess around with recipes all the time. You will end up with something whatever you do so why not experiment? Just don't do it for an important dinner party.

The proportion of eggs, milk and other ingredients will affect the richness and thickness of the ice cream. It may also affect how hard it is when frozen. A lot of my own-mixes are too hard to serve straight from the freezer so have to be defrosted a bit before eating.

Messing about is great fun.

Zoe

[red]

we've made up own own recipes.. most seem to work

[JillStephens7]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping to hear. Would like to eek it out a bit with more milk to make it a bit cheaper.

Just don't do it for an important dinner party.

no chance of one of those round here I love this about the internet ... I could be some amazingly sophisticated person for all anyone knows

Anyway, it was delicious, reckon I'm back on dairy, can't resist this stuff. One of the easiest & most immediately successful 'luxury' food items I've made.

Now I just need to eat something out of the freezer so I can fit in tub 2 ... aha, could take out some rhubarb and try doing some rhubarb ice-cream Yippee

I wonder how long HM ice-cream keeps

Thanks again

[ElizabethBinary]

Did you make a custard from it first? That always makes the creamiest ice cream.

In a DIY Ice cream emergency though, 2 cups cream, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla and anything else you want bunged into the ice cream maker makes a decent one. :D

[JillStephens7]

Yes, by making a custard ...thought that was great multi-tasking as meant I learned how to make custard at the same time

No ice-cream maker, just an empty ice-cream tub in the freezer and running out to the garage (where the fridge-freezer is) like a mad woman with my wonder whisk.

Keeps the neighbours guessing

[ElizabethBinary]

Yes, by making a custard ...thought that was great multi-tasking as meant I learned how to make custard at the same time

No ice-cream maker, just an empty ice-cream tub in the freezer and running out to the garage (where the fridge-freezer is) like a mad woman with my wonder whisk.

Keeps the neighbours guessing

Check freecycle! I got my icecream maker there for free. Had to travel a whopping 10km to get it, but who cares. :D

That being said, my 'need ice cream now' recipe works for running around like a mad woman with a whisk to your garage. (My freezer is there, too, but my garage is attached!)... I always make it when the menfolk want icecream for a movie last minute (as I am an anomoly - I dislike sweets).

[JillStephens7]

I have seen ice-cream makers on Freecycle here but wasn't thinking of getting one on the grounds that less is more on the gadget front.

Do they make a lot of difference/ much better ice-cream? I would be interested to know.
Thanks, Jill

[indy]

I got given an ice cream maker for my birthday a couple of years ago, apart from my beloved Magimix it is the best and most used gadget that I own

[Green Aura]

I've got a brilliant ice cream maker. It's like a small double-walled stock pot. There's liquid in the cavities and it lives in the freezer. When we want ice cream I can make it within half an hour - 15 mins prep and 15 mins in the maker. You just take the lid off and scrape down the sides a few times and it's done and I can get two batches out of it before it needs refreezing. The other good thing is it permanently takes up some space in the freezer, helping to keep it full.

As for how long you can keep it - in our house it's as long as we can keep our hands off it. I have managed to keep one lot for about a fortnight, but that was with lots of self-discipline and snarling at the rest of the family

Try this, although it's still 4 egg yolks it makes much more volume and is the nicest icecream I have ever had - ever!!!

Brown bread ice cream
4 egg yolks
75 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
½ vanilla pod ( i just used a tsp of essence)
250 ml milk
40 g butter
80 g crustless wholemeal bread
50 g soft light brown sugar
250 ml double cream
1 tablespoon brandy or Grand Marnier (Optional) - we put brandy in but I reckon it'd be just as good without

Whiz the bread in the food processor to make crumbs.
Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and add the crumbs, stir well then spread the mixture on a baking sheet.

Bake the crumbs in a pre-heated oven at 180 centigrade for 15-20 minutes, turning from time to time until they are toasted and crisp.
Allow to cool.

Cut the vanilla pod open and scrape out the seeds.
Pour the milk into a heavy-based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and seeds and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl until thick and pale.
Gradually pour on the hot milk, whisking constantly.
Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time.
When the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, strain out the pod, add the brandy and cool.

Stir the cream into the custard and churn the mixture until thick.
Rub the breadcrumbs between your fingers to break up any lumps.
Stir the crumbs into the mixture, churn for 5-10 minutes until ready to serve.

[JillStephens7]

Thank you Indy & Maggie. May have a look at ice-cream makers in the future, main priority for now is eating lots of ice-cream

Haven't had brown bread ice-cream for years but did used to love it so will give it a whirl when I can see my way to the shop for more milk (it is ridiculously foggy here and I had a very LOUD afternoon with 30 reception children , so I 'forgot' to go shopping on the way home)

Jill xx

[Thomzo]

I love my ice-cream maker. If you do have a dinner party then you can set it going at the starters and it'll be perfect for serving (in the bowl of the ice-cream maker) by pudding. Everyone thinks you are so clever.

My easiest ever ice-cream recipe is lemon cheesecake:

I pot of double cream (whatever size suits your ice-cream maker).
A couple of dollops of lemon curd
A few digestive biscuits crumbled (not too fine, you want biscuit lumps not crumbs)

Mix together
Freeze
Eat

Zoe

[indy]

Oooh yum, now there is two recipes that I'm going to try

[JillStephens7]

My easiest ever ice-cream recipe is lemon cheesecake:

Zoe

That sounds delicious too, I love lemon curd ... and perfect timing because I made my first batch of HFW digestive biscuits tonight which are yum yum

[Big Al]

Is it possible to make ice cream without the sugar or certainly a maximum of 5% sugar by weight?