Delicious fun in making ice cream
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from September 1984.
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Americans today consume more ice cream than ever. Eating an average of more than 15 quarts of it per year, folks seem to have special relationships with certain ice cream flavors. In spite of the fact that there are more options available for the average ice cream cone than there are for gadgets in a modern kitchen, vanilla remains the top seller among commercial ice creams.
Home-churned ice cream falls into two categories: the custard style to which the ingredients are cooked before being frozen, and the uncooked kind in which the ingredients are simply blended and chilled before being turned into an ice cream freezer.
There are only a few simple steps to follow, according to Raymond Binkley, manager of Pennsylvania State University's milk plant. He recommends using finely shaved ice in the ice cream freezer. "Many people make the mistake of using cubes or coarsely cracked ice in their ice cream machines. Cubes don't take the heat away from the mix fast enough. Experience has taught the smaller the pieces of ice, the better the final ice cream."
And Philip Keeney, professor of food science at the same university and one of the country's leading ice cream experts, has said that the secret to good homemade ice cream is basic: Use lots of cream. "Cream contains butterfat and that's what separates good ice cream from great ice cream."
Want to know what makes a great ice cream? The basic ingredients: Cream This provides the butterfat. It may be from heavy cream, whipping cream or half-and-half. Federal regulations insist that commercial ice creams be at least 10 percent butterfat; gourmet brands usually approach 16 percent. Too much butterfat, however, makes the mixture taste thick and greasy. Some recipes also call for evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, which provides sugar for the mix. - Sugar - In addition to providing the sweetness. sugar slows the freezing process, reducing crystallization as the ice cream becomes firm. - Eggs - Whether separated, with whites beaten and folded into the creamy mix or added as whole eggs, ice cream is enhanced by additional flavor and a binding element when eggs are in the recipe. - Flavorings - Almost anything can act as a flavorant. When using extracts, get the pure ones; the imitation flavors will show up in the finished ice cream. - Air - But not too much! It's true that some air is needed in ice cream or it won't collapse readily in the mouth. But too much air can insulate the slow meltdown from the interior and give the ice cream a "fake whipped cream" consistency.
Commercial manufacturers must not exceed the legal limit of 50 percent air. By federal law, a half gallon of ice cream must weigh at least 2 pounds, 4 ounces. HOMESTYLE
VANILLA CUSTARD
ICE CREAM
3 cups milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg whites Scald milk and vanilla in heavy saucepan. Beat yolks and sugar together until light: stir in small amount (approximately ½ cup) scalded milk. Combine with remaining milk and return to heat. Cook over medium heat just to boiling, remove from heat and let cool. Whip cream to soft peaks and set aside. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into whipped cream. Blend cream mixture and custard together gently. Freeze in ice cream maker according to directions.
Makes 1¾ quarts. This recipe requires no ice cream maker and uses sweetened condensed milk as a base. CHOCOLATE BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans 1 tbsp. butter ½ cup powdered cocoa 2/3 cup water 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsps. vanilla 2 cups heavy cream Saute pecans in butter in small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Cool. Combine cocoa and water in small saucepan: bring to boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Pour in 8-inch-square pan; freeze until mushy. Whip heavy cream until stiff. Whip chocolate mixture in small chilled bowl; fold in cream. Blend in pecans. Pour into pan and return to freezer: freeze until firm. Stir occasionally during first hour. Mound in serving bowl.
By binding the cream and milk with cornstarch no eggs are needed for this recipe. Can be served with warm sauce.
