Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Remember that old rhyme? Even if you don't, chances are you love ice cream. It seems most of us do.

When I was a kid in New York (state, not city) and Connecticut, my sister, brother, and I were all excited whenever my dad would bring out the ice cream maker. While the big ice cream-making day was the 4th of July, Dad would make sure to make ice cream throughout the summer. Of course, he also included us kids, as the old fashioned hand cranked (non-electric) ice cream makers required having someone hand crank the thing for maybe half-an-hour. The rule was that if we wanted homemade ice cream, each one of us had to put in a few minutes (at least) at cranking the darn thing. But it was well worth it! (Here's a good article on using a hand crank ice cream maker.)

Of course, these days, you can buy either electric or non-electric (hand crank) ice cream makers. (The one I use looks similar to this one, though I'm not advocating buying it at any one particular store.)

Good Housekeeping has an article giving its best ice cream makers. Some of them look pretty fancy, but a simple one works well, in my estimation. The Spruce Eats also has their list of best ice cream makers for 2018. Check it out.

Okay, enough already. Here are six yummy ice cream recipes to get you started, including Dark Chocolate-Caramel Sorbet and Strawberry Sorbet. Enjoy!

Note: This was originally posted yesterday on one of my other food blogs, Confessions of a Foodie.

HOMEMADE ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM

This comes from the almost-infamous long-since-forgotten-email-list. While I don’t remember who sent this to the list, but whoever sent it in wrote, “I love this ice cream, very creamy and I'd say it tastes better than store bought. Hope you like it as much as we do!!” Time: 45 min; 5 min prep; serves 10 - 12

2 cups 2% low-fat milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows (or if you REALLY like them you can use half a bag like I do!)

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

Mix all ingredients together in cylinder of ice cream maker; freeze according to manufacturers directions.

Allow to set in freezer for 2-4 hours.

Enjoy!

DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL SORBET

This comes from the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, pagae 51, and begins, "The caramelized sugar syrup that is the base for this decadent chocolate sorbet adds to its depth and richness. There are very few ingredients for the recipe, so the quality of the chocolate and cocoa really count." Makes 1 quart.

To view this online, click here.

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped

Place sugar in large saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until sugar has melted and caramelized to rich amber color, stirring occasionally.

Stir in lemon juice (mixture will boil violently for several minutes). Slowly add 2 1/2 cups boiling water, and stir until hardened caramel is dissolved. Stir in cocoa powder and salt, and bring mixture to just under a simmer. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then blend smooth with immersion blender. Transfer to covered container, and refrigerate overnight.

Pour sorbet base into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 247; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 48 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 156 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 43 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

CREAMY NO CHURN RASPBERRY CRUMBLE ICE CREAM

This comes from the wonderful people at Feedfeed, and begins, “Sunshine in Vancouver got me like... let’s make homemade ice cream!!”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Crisp

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp butter, cold

No Churn Ice Cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Jam, about 2/3 cup

Directions

For the Brown Sugar Crisp: Preheat oven to 350˚F degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add cold butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pasty cutter until the butter is incorporated and you are left with a crumbly mixture. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and and allow to cool completely. Set aside until ready to use assemble ice cream.

For the No Churn Ice Cream: In a small bowl, whisk together condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment on high until smooth and creamy and there are no lumps. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the whipping cream in a steady stream. Once all the cream in incorporated, turn the mixer to high and whip until stiff peaks form; about 3-4 minutes.

Add half of the whipped cream cheese mixture to the condensed milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the condensed milk mixture to your bowl of whipped cream and use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until smooth and no streaks of whipped cream remain.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (alternatively you could use a loaf pan). Set the pan and the remaining ice cream mixture in your freezer for 15 minutes to set slightly. Once set remove and begin assembling your ice cream.

Dollop about 1/3 of a cup of your raspberry jam over the ice cream in the pan. Use a spoon to spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 of your crumble mixture. Dollop the rest of your ice cream mixture on top and use a spoon to smooth. Dollop the remaining jam across the top of the ice cream and use a knife or the back of your spoon to create the pretty swirls. Sprinkle with remaining crisp mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 5-6 hours before serving.

RASPBERRY-LIME GRANITA

This was from an old Weight Watchers emailing list. The points may be outdated, but it's still worth trying.

The recipe begins, “Short for time? No problem. Simply let the frozen mixture sit for about 10 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the entire mixture until it's light and fluffy.”

POINTS® value: 1; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 10 min; Cooking Time: 0 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

6 cups raspberries

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp lime zest

Instructions

Boil sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Let syrup cool.

Purée raspberries and syrup in a food processor. Add lime juice. Mixture should be just thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon. If too thick, add a little water.

Pour into a shallow plastic container or baking dish. Cover and freeze. Stir with a fork approximately every 30 minutes until frozen, about six hours.

Divide into eight dessert glasses and garnish with lime zest if desired.

ONE-INGREDIENT BANANA ICE CREAM

This comes from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “This outrageously easy ‘ice cream’ is just the sort of dessert to please everyone at the table – the vegans, the lactose-intolerant, the paleo enthusiasts, the picky children. Just toss four frozen bananas into a blender and give it a good whirl. If you like soft-serve consistency, eat it right away (and adding a few tablespoons of milk to the blender wouldn't hurt, but it's not necessary). For more traditional scoops, freeze it in an airtight container, and dole out as you would the Ben & Jerry's. Consider adding a spoonful of peanut butter, Nutella or honey; a handful of chocolate chips or almonds; or a 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger, cardamom or cinnamon.”

Yield: Four servings; Time: 6 hours 10 minutes.

This was featured in “Food; Uncle Food” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide, “How to Make Ice Cream”. Very informative, very yummy…After looking through this, I wanted to spend the next weekend making batch after batch of ice cream.

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

Preparation

Peel the bananas, cut them in 2- to 3-inch chunks and place them in a freezer bag in the freezer for at least 6 hours. Remove and blend in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight container for at least 2 hours. Scoop and serve.

STRAWBERRY SORBET

This comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This mouthwatering summer sorbet is an adaptation of one served at the River Café in London. Yes, it calls for an entire lemon (rind and all), but trust us: the sweet of the strawberries and sugar, the tart and bitter of the lemon – it all works together beautifully.”

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarters; Time: 10 minutes.

This was featured in “The Arsenal” and can be viewed online here.

By the way, I highly recommend The Times’ Melissa Clark’s “How to Make Ice Cream”. I dare you to check it out and not want to immediately start making ice cream!

Ingredients

1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped

2 cups sugar

2 pounds strawberries, hulled

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

Preparation

Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.

Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.