Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Learning the ropes of ice-cream making

Posted by Picasa
Not too long ago, I scored a refurbished version of this ice-cream maker at Marshalls for $40. I began dreaming of the rich homemade ice cream we would enjoy all summer (ok, all year) and my list of recipes to try is already quite long.

As part of our Easter celebrating, I made my first batch. Mint chocolate chip is one of my favorites, and I carefully researched recipes for just the right one. Here's the recipe I landed on:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mint_chocolate_chip_ice_cream/

The ice cream was delicious.....eventually. But my first try at ice cream making was a wee bit bumpy. I followed the directions carefully, but in hindsight, a bit of background knowledge would have been helpful! When the batter didnt churn into ice cream after twice the recommended time, I started looking for suggestions. I came upon this list that I think is helpful if you are thinking about trying your hand at it.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/06/10-ten-tips-for-making-homemade-ice-cream-success.html

I ended up just freezing the batter. But that meant that the end result wasnt creamy, but hard. I dont blame the recipe or the maker. I should have done two things differently.
1. Should have had the bowl in the freezer for at least 24, but probably more like 48.
2. Should have cooled the batter overnight. The recipe calls for cooling it completely, but thats hard to know. I thought it was cooled completely in the ice bath, but I think this was the core of the problem.

Now that the mint is growing like a weed on the side of the house, Im almost ready to try again!

No comments:

Post a Comment