Better Homemade Ice Cream

The Question:I have an ice cream maker that's collecting dust in the pantry. Any innovative recipes I could use? The last time I used it, the consistency of the ice cream wasn't great. I've heard that frozen custards might work better. Any suggestions or tips to make better ice cream?

The Answer: It is certainly ice cream season, so this question is perfect. Achieving the same creamy texture and richness that one can find at an ice cream shop is very hard to do at home. The reasons have to do with various stabilizers, machines, etc that ice cream shops have that home cooks just aren't privy too. However, this does not mean that you are doomed to have icy, hard homemade ice cream!

First off, frozen custards do tend to remain much creamier than their non-egg laden counterparts. See my July 4, 2010 posting for a homemade frozen vanilla chocolate chip custard: http://whatsfordinner-fft.blogspot.com/search/label/ice%20cream
As I stated in that post, if you want to reduce the cholesterol or just not deal with tempering the egg yolks, then I've used Eggbeaters in the past with great results. When making a custard, the most important part is to avoid scrambling the egg. In order to do this, you must add the hot liquid (usually milk or cream) very, very, very slowly to the egg, making sure to whisk constantly. Also, do not add more than 4 tbs of the hot liquid to the eggs before pouring them back into the cream. That will also prevent scrambling!

Another tip is to keep churning the ice cream longer than the recommended time. This will add more air to the ice cream, making it less dense. Also, it is essential that the freezing bowl be VERY cold. I like to keep mine in the freezer all the time because then I can make ice cream whenever I want. But, if you don't have room or don't want to do that, chill the bowl for at least 24 hrs before using. Along these lines, I like to chill my ice cream mixture for a long time in the fridge (up to 24 hrs) before placing it into the machine. Your mixture can never be too cold!

Add any mix-ins (like chocolate chips) in the last 5 minutes of churning the cream. And, finally, remember that if using alcohol to make a flavor, the freezing temperature is altered and the cream will remain softer.

I'll leave you with this recipe sent to me by a friend S.B., who just happened to make this delicious sounding gelato recently:
Peach Gelato
2 c whole milk
1 c cream
4 egg yolks
2/3 c sugar
1 lb. peaches (purreed w/ 1tsp. lemon juice).
Make a custard (heat milk/cream to 170, temper w/ the yolks that have been whipped with the sugar), return whole thing to pan and cook until thick enough to coat spoon and at 185 degrees. Cool completely to room temperature then chill at least 4 hours. Mix with cold peach mixture, put in machine & freeze.
From the Ciao Bella gelato cookbook!