BY SAM & MEREDITH HODGES
Guys love making ice cream. We were amazed at how many guys had scientifically experimented with ice cream recipes. Our premier expert in this field is Tom Cole, who has been making homemade ice cream for years and gave us most of our tips.
Tom uses a Krups ice cream maker and feels that either Krups or Cuisinart makes the best machine. You need a strong motor for ice cream, so if your machine is less than 40 watts you might need to cut back on the cream in order to put less strain on the engine. You must also chill the prepared mixture thoroughly before you process it in the ice cream maker or the ice cream will be grainy.
A lot of the best ice cream recipes call for fruit. Always choose fruit that is totally ripe, with a strong flavor. Increase or decrease sugar to taste, depending on the tartness of the fruit. In the case of plums or nectarines, leave the skins on for maximum color and flavor. If you are using raspberries or blackberries, strain out the seeds. After you have chilled the mixture, follow the directions on your ice cream maker.
Peach Ice Cream
Here is Tom Cole’s standard fruit ice cream recipe. We will give you four variations, showing you how to change these standard proportions depending on the fruit you are using. This is a very rich ice cream with chunks of peaches in it.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2/3 to 1 cup sugar
1 cup overripe peaches
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend the peaches until puréed with just a few chunks left. Stir in the sugar. One cup of sugar is usually too much, but it depends on your peaches. Cover the fruit and refrigerate until the sugar is dissolved. Combine vanilla, cream, and milk. Add peach mixture and chill.
Mango Ice Cream
In order to bring out the flavor of the mango, which is just a bit bland, you must add more fruit, a little less sugar, and a little lemon juice.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups ripe mango flesh
1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice, to taste
2/3 cup sugar
Puree the mango and lemon juice. Add the sugar. Let it stand a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the cream and milk. Chill.
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry ice cream often takes a bit more sweetening. Taste your strawberries to see how sour they are and adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup puréed strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix strawberries and sugar. Let stand a few minutes. Mix with cream, milk, and vanilla. Chill.
Blueberry Ice Cream
Blueberry ice cream makes a very thick mixture, so you will need to reduce the cream and increase the milk. You must be sure to crush all the blueberries or they will come out like little frozen marbles.
1 cup mashed blueberries
1-2/3 cups heavy cream
1-1/3 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix sugar with blueberries. Let stand. Combine with cream, milk, and vanilla. Chill.
Coffee Ice Cream
Another splendid recipe from Tom Cole, this coffee ice cream is also good with chunks of chocolate added.
2 Tbsp. excellent ground coffee, the freshest possible
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar to taste
1 more cup milk
Put the coffee grounds in the first 2 cups of milk and cook down to half. Strain the grounds out and discard. Cool the coffee mixture overnight. Then add sugar, second cup of milk, and cream. Chill.
Peppermint Ice Cream
We’re throwing in this modified recipe from The Joy of Cooking because it’s completely wonderful. Don’t use Starlight Mints—use Peppermint Sticks because they’re more porous and will dissolve a little to make a stronger peppermint flavor.
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
1/2 lb. crushed peppermint stick
candy (put in pillowcase and
hammer it to crush)
Soak the crushed peppermint in 2 cups of milk overnight. Add cream, half and half, and chill.
Maple Walnut Ice Cream
Tim and Len Roberts used to make this with their family in Rhode Island. It’s a classic recipe.
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cups shelled, chopped walnuts
Mix together the ingredients and chill.
Quick Ice Cream
If you don’t have time to make ice cream from scratch or if you don’t want to invest in the equipment, you can make a lot of different ice creams without an ice cream maker. Be sure to begin with a good vanilla ice cream, such as Breyers or Haagen Dazs. Stuart Yancey from Little Rock, Arkansas, uses this method to make a wicked peach ice cream with chopped candied ginger.
Vanilla ice cream
Mashed lightly sugared fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or crushed Oreos
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften until you can mash it easily with a fork (don’t let it get too runny). If using fruit, mash it, add a little sugar, and let it dissolve on the fruit. Quickly mix together the softened ice cream and fruit mixture, turn it into a flat refrigerator tray, and chill until a little firmer. Instead of fruit, you could add chocolate chips, M&Ms, crushed Oreos, nuts, etc.
Tim Roberts’ Warm, Spicy Topping
Ice cream is never complete without toppings. Tim Roberts invented a wonderful warm topping for the winter. It is best used on a rich vanilla ice cream.
2 apples, peeled & sliced
2 ripe pears, peeled & sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar to taste
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
Combine ingredients, cover, and cook over medium heat 10-15 minutes until fruit makes a sauce. Watch carefully and add tiny bits of water as needed so it doesn’t burn. You don’t want the finished sauce to be soupy.
Ice Cream Cake
A guy who wishes to remain anonymous loves ice cream cakes and has invented this one.
1-1/2 cups crushed Oreos
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Caramel topping (the best possible)
1 qt. Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften slightly. Mix together the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Chill 1 hour. Pour on caramel sauce 1/8" thick and smooth over crust. Chill 1 hour. Spread the softened ice cream over the caramel and chill until firm.