There's a reason for this. When I was growing up, my dad bought an ice cream maker and started making homemade ice cream every 4th of July, as well as other random weekends.
Of course, back then, the ice cream makers were hand-cranked, and took plenty of arm-power (which is where my brother, sister, and I came in; if we wanted the good stuff, we had to help out!).
Dad and Mom, circa 1964/1965
If you'd like to see how to use a hand crank ice cream maker, check out this post from New Life on a Homestead (which has tons of great posts; I highly recommend checking it out!). If you'd like to buy a hand crank ice cream maker, here's a good place to check out. And if you want to buy an electric ice cream maker (a lot easier on the arms!), you can pick one up almost anywhere.
Anyway, here are today's six ice cream recipes to check out, including Blackberry Ice Cream and Mocha Chip Banana Ice Cream. Enjoy!
HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM
I have a sneaking suspicion that my dad would have loved this recipe (from Anita Schecter, About.com’s Middle Eastern Food expert), as he loved both ice cream and pistachios.
Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.
“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.
“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.
“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.
“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.
“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”
Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Cup whole milk
2 Cups heavy cream
1/2 Cup honey
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios
Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
CLASSIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There is a reason a hot fudge sundae is such an enduring classic: That combination of warm, rich chocolate fudge mixing with frozen ice cream and melting it slightly is absolutely irresistible. Of course, if you have homemade fudge sauce and homemade ice cream, it gets even better. Vanilla ice cream is the standard here, but feel free to use your favorite flavor, or a combination of flavors. And if you like nuts, by all means use them here. The added crunch is marvelous against all the rich creaminess.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 35 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Make Ice Cream”.
Ingredients
For the Fudge Sauce:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup or honey
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon brandy or rum
For Assembly:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon superfine sugar, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pints your favorite flavor ice cream
Chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or pecans (optional)
Cherries, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup or honey, cocoa, and salt to a simmer, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chocolate and let cook until the chocolate melts. Stir in butter and vanilla or liquor. Let cool slightly. Contrary to its name, hot fudge is best served warm, not piping hot.
For assembly, make the whipped cream. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Pour a little fudge sauce into the bottoms of sundae dishes or bowls. Top with ice cream, then more hot fudge, then nuts if using. Cover all with whipped cream and a cherry if you like. Serve.
MOCHA CHIP BANANA ICE CREAM
This is from Kaleigh McMordie on VeryWell. (Kaleigh also has her own food blog, Lively Table. Check it out!)
This recipe begins, “Ice cream is a delicious dessert, but probably not something you want to eat daily if you are trying to get healthy. Though one pint seems small it actually contains four servings. It may be time to introduce an alternative If you often find yourself at the bottom with no idea where all of the ice cream went.
“Banana ice cream, or ‘nice cream’ as it is sometimes called, is a healthy ice cream alternative made by blending frozen banana slices in a blender to yield a smooth, creamy, and naturally sweet treat. You can add any other flavor you like.
“This mocha chip banana ice cream is blended with coffee and dark chocolate and swirled with mini chocolate chips. It’s vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate chips, and it’s the perfect healthy dessert for when you need something cool and creamy. As a bonus, you also get a serving of fruit and antioxidants in your dessert!”
Total Time: 10 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 0 min; Servings: 2 (1/2 cup each)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 sliced bananas, frozen
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 teaspoons semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Preparation
In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend all ingredients except for chocolate chips. You may need to add more milk to get bananas to blend.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Serve immediately, or for a firmer consistency, pour into a shallow container and freeze 10 to 15 minutes before scooping.
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
For vegan and dairy-free, use vegan chocolate chips and dairy-free milk.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Bananas will take a little while to blend. Be patient and add milk by the tablespoon as needed.
BLACKBERRY ICE CREAM
This comes from the One Green Planet emailing list. They have quite a few really good vegetarian recipes. Give it a try!
This recipe starts off, “I served my ice cream as a soft serve, but I also froze it in an airtight container and it turned to the same consistency as the ice cream you knew/know and love/d as a non-vegan. I won't lie; this ice cream is not as creamy as the dairy kind, or the soya or nut-based ice cream you can buy from health food stores, but the banana makes this more than just a sorbet. Not to mention, it cuts the calories by half. At least. So enjoy your 'ice cream' guiltlessly! You have my permission.”
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen blackberries
2 frozen bananas, in chuncks
a few splashes of almond milk
Preparation
In a blender or food processor, blend the frozen fruit with a little bit of almond milk, adding the milk little by littled. Don't add too much or you'll just end up with a frozen smoothie, you want to add just a few splashes when necessary. Depending on the speed of your blender or food processors, this will take about five minutes. You may need to stir the ice cream mixture with a spoon between pulsing to make sure everything gets blended (unless you want chunks).
Serve immediately as soft serve, or place in a container in the freezer for at least one hour before scooping it out.
MOCHA SHERBET FREEZE
Here’s a recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups strongly brewed coffee or espresso
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk
Preparation
Whisk together the coffee, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk.
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Perfect Pairing: To make a Mocha Freeze, for each serving put 2 scoops of Mocha Sherbet (4 ounces, 115 g) in a blender along with 1/2 cup (125 ml) very strongly brewed coffee or espresso, 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 ice cubes. Blend until almost smooth. Pour into a glass and top with Whipped Cream.
STRAWBERRY SORBET
This comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, “This mouthwatering summer sorbet is an adaptation of one served at the River Café in London. Yes, it calls for an entire lemon (rind and all), but trust us: the sweet of the strawberries and sugar, the tart and bitter of the lemon – it all works together beautifully.”
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts; Time: 10 minutes.
This was featured in “The Arsenal” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
2 cups sugar
2 pounds strawberries, hulled
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Preparation
Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.
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