Adventures in making Ice Cream

Blackberry Ice Cream

I have a confession to make; I've never been a fan of homemade Ice Cream.  I've always seen it as an inferior product to Ice Cream you can buy from the store, but it's something you must partake in for certain summer based events, like "4th of July" or Barbecues.  i.e. it's tradition, like eating turkey on Thanksgiving, that you endure whether you like it or not.  Of course, I should explain, most of my experiences with homemade Ice Cream are just a plain Vanilla that you consume right from the hand crank Ice Cream maker while it's still in a too-cold, icy slush form.  Never seemed to compare to the fluffy, creamy goodness that you find in your local supermarket freezer aisle.  However, since it is a traditional treat, like any good family man, I dutifully purchased an Ice Cream maker early in mine and Tracy's marriage and tried my hand at it.  The results were the icy slush I remember, the ice cream maker broke after 1 or 2 uses, and I washed my hands of the whole thing...until this year.

Around Cinco De Mayo (which we celebrate only as a reason to make and eat Mexican Food), I decided I wanted to try making Ice Cream again.  I'd received a couple of Mexican cookbooks with Ice Cream recipes in them (specifically "Hugo Ortega's Street Food of Mexico" and "Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales") and Memorial Day seemed like a good opportunity to give them a whirl.  First things first, I needed an Ice Cream maker.  It needed to be fairly inexpensive and we wanted one that would make small batches, since the more Ice Cream we have lying around the more we'll eat.  My other stipulation was it had to be something I could find locally since I made the decision to make Ice Cream only a couple of days from Cinco De Mayo (yeah, me and last minute decisions are very old friends).  Armed with those requirements, I hit the web and settled on the Hamilton Beach, 1.5 qt, Gel Ice Cream Maker which I was able to procure at my local Wal-Mart Supercenter.  It's small size easily fits our limited counter space and, at $24.99, it's price wasn't going to break our checking account.  I was a little concerned about this being a Gel type Ice Cream Maker, since I'd had less than satisfactory results with Gel packs you use in coolers, but it was literally only one of 2 choices of Ice Cream makers I could buy (the other being one that seemed to require it's own Ice Cream recipe packets, plus it was stupid looking), so I thought I'd give it a go.

Hamilton Beach Ice Cream Maker

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

The first recipe I tried was a rum raisin recipe that came from the "Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales" book, and it failed spectacularly.  On the bright side, almost immediately I knew what I had done wrong; relying on the Gel container alone, and no ice, for solidifying the Ice Cream, it's critical that the Ice Cream mixture is chilled properly and the Gel chamber is completely frozen, and I'd failed to do either.  Undaunted, I stuck the Gel Container in our Chest Freezer for days and attempted a Cappuccino Gelato for Mother's Day, using a recipe that came with the Ice Cream maker.  This time, everything worked perfectly and Tracy enjoyed a delicious frozen treat on her special day.  Since then I've remade the Rum Raisin recipe, made a Chocolate Ice Cream for the kids, this Blackberry Ice Cream recipe, and a simple Vanilla, all of them competing well against everything but the best Ice Cream brands you find at the Supermarket.  My latest creation, a Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, turned out particularly well and I'll be posting that recipe below.

Regardless of which recipe I make now, I follow 3 simple rules to ensure the Ice Cream comes out just right:

1. When not making Ice Cream, the Gel container lives in our Chest Freezer.  That way, the container stays at the necessary temperature for making Ice Cream.
2. Make the Ice Cream mixture the day before you plan to actually make Ice Cream.  This gives the mixture plenty of time to chill to an appropriate temperature.
3. Once the Ice Cream maker has completed its cycle, freeze the Ice Cream mixture for a few hours before serving.  This changes the Ice Cream from a soft consistency that easily breaks down into something more resembling Ice Cream that you buy.   

Now, all of this may be common sense to everyone except me, but they're things I definitely didn't know before I trying to make Ice Cream on my own and following these rules have helped me get consistent results.  Some other tips perhaps less obvious:

Chilling a batch of mixture for the next day.

• I suggest using a silicone spatula to assist in transferring Ice Cream from the Gel container since it's interior wall scratches easily.
• We've found that 16 ounce Cool Whip containers are perfect for storing a single batch of Ice Cream, so save those when you can.
• I keep a plastic jar reserved (in image to the right) just for chilling a batch of Ice Cream mixture, so that I don't have to worry about a container being available when I need it.  Plus, the opening in the Ice Cream maker where you pour in the mixture is pretty narrow, so using a jar likes this makes it easier to pour the mixture without making a mess.  The one I use was originally a large jar of Pasta sauce we bought at Wal-Mart.

There are a few of sources for Ice Cream recipes that I'd like to share.  "She Wears Many Hats" has some interesting recipes to try like "Lemon Pie" and "Blueberry Pie" ice cream.  "Annies Eats" has the "Blackberry Ice Cream" recipe we tried and also pointed me to a recipe book, "Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones", that I'm dying to try.  The book contains recipes from the Chefs at "Bi-Rite Creamery", a popular San Francisco Ice Cream shop that emphasizes using the best ingredients in interesting frozen concoctions like "Balsamic Strawberry" or "Honey Lavender".  Finally, www.foodnetwork.com is, of course, I great source for all types of recipes and that's where I located the "Pumpkin Pie" Ice Cream recipe I recently made.

The original "Pumpkin Pie" Ice Cream recipe can be found here, but the one I made is slightly tweaked based off of reviewers comments on the original recipe and the size of the batch we need for our Ice Cream maker; the original recipe makes more than a quart so is more suitable for Ice Cream makers bigger than ours.   The recipe I ended up using is as follows:

Ingredients

• 2 cups Half-and-Half
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 a 15 ounce can of Pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring temperature up to 170 degrees, allowing sugars to dissolve completely.  Stir occasionally to ensure ingredients combine completely and are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2. Turn off burner and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.  I still occasionally stir during this period to ensure everything stays incorporated.
3. Pour mixture into a container with a lid and chill overnight.
4. Next day, make ice cream according to Ice Cream maker's manufacturer directions.

NOTE:  Original recipe is based off of a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Alton Brown and requires using Vanilla beans.  I opted for Vanilla extract instead since the beans we had were old enough to be petrified.  If you'd prefer to using Vanilla beans, I suggest adding the vanilla to just the dairy and sugars and straining the mixture before adding the other ingredients.  The original recipe also doesn't combine the pumpkin and spices until the day you're making the Ice Cream.   I don't recommend this as adding the pumpkin and spices to the saucepan ensures the pumpkin and spice flavors are thoroughly infused into the warm Ice Cream mixture.