Homemade Ice Cream Binge

I'm not having my cholesterol checked any time soon.  Pretty sure it wouldn't be good news.
I am on a homemade ice cream kick and it doesn't seem to be subsiding.  I have tried royal dark chocolate, alpine milk chocolate, fresh peach, butter pecan, mint chocolate Oreo, starlight mint, peanut butter.   And I have others I want to try. My favorites are still vanilla and burnt almond fudge but I have those down to a science so no need to "practice" on those.   Besides, I love trying something new and different.

While I was in Denver, I mentioned to Stacie that I was making lots of ice cream and she let me borrow her Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert book.  Lots of choices and possibilities.  I have to try more!

Here are some recipes that I have tried.  They fit in the Cuisinart ice cream freezer (except the burnt almond fudge and vanilla - half will fit in the Cuisinart) and make about 6 - 7 cups of ice cream.





Butter Pecan
Every time I would fly into Atlanta from South Africa, I wheeled into the nearest Ben & Jerry's and got their smallest cup of butter pecan ice cream.  It was divine!  And it felt like home.

1/3 cup butter, no substitutes
1 cup pecans (I go back and forth between halves and coarsely chopped)
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 eggs, 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
4 t. vanilla

Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat.  Add the pecans and salt. Saute, stirring, until the pecans start to turn brown and the butter is a light brown.  Put two paper towels over a bowl and pour the pecans and butter in to strain out the butter.  Put the pecans in the fridge to chill.

Beat the eggs for a minute and add the sugar.  Add the melted butter.  Beat about 2 minutes.  Pour in the cream, milk and vanilla.   Mix well.

Pour into the Cuisinart ice cream maker and freeze.  As it is beginning to get stiff, add the pecans and continue freezing until it is firm.

I have been working with this recipe for a while. Five batches later, I have it how I like it.  I tried the cooked custard base recipe that seems to be the most prevalent but it tasted like frozen pudding to me.  This is yummy.  Don't leave out the salt - that hint of salt on the pecans is what makes it.

Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream

Grandma Nelson’s original recipe for a divine dessert

6 eggs

3 ¾ cups sugar

3 T. vanilla

4 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 ½ pints whipping cream

3 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk (I use lowfat)

1 ½ cups toasted almonds, chopped

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and lemon colored and sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate on low in ¼ cup of milk, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add a little more milk and stir until smooth.   Add chocolate mixture, milk, and cream to egg mixture. Stir until smooth.  Mix in canned milk. Pour in ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. When almost finished, add the almonds.

Makes 5 quarts.  This is really a double batch for the Cuisinart.

To toast almonds: Place whole almonds in a Ziploc bag and pour in about 1–2 t. of vegetable oil.  Zip shut and coat the almonds with the oil.   Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 15 to 18 minutes. To check for doneness, slice into an almond. When they are golden brown inside they are done. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

The easiest ice cream in the world to put together.  Fast and yummy.

This is a perfect vanilla base:

4 eggs

2 ¼ cups sugar

4 cups milk

4 cups heavy cream

4 ½ t. vanilla

½ t. salt

         

Beat eggs and sugar until stiff.  Add milk, cream, vanilla, and salt.  Place in 6 quart freezer and freeze according to freezer directions. You may add fresh fruit prior to the end of freezing such as 2-3 cups strawberries mashed or raspberries.  Makes 4 quarts.  This is also a double batch and splits in half well for the Cuisinart. 

Variations on the Vanilla:

Starlight Mint

One half vanilla ice Cream base

3/4 t. peppermint extract (the recipe calls for 1 t. but I like to be a little light on the peppermint)

A couple of drops of green food color

1 (3.5 oz.) Ghirardelli Mint Cookie chocolate bar, grated or finely sliced

            (I am still looking for the perfect chocolate for this.  Maybe Ritter's dark)

Mix the base, add the extract and food color. Put in the Cuisinart and freeze.  Just before it is finished, add the chocolate.

Vanilla Oreo

One half vanilla ice cream base

1 cup coarsely chopped Oreo cookies

Freeze the vanilla ice cream.  Add Oreo cookies toward the end.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

One half vanilla ice cream base
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bits

     Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
     5 T. butter, melted
     1/3 cup light brown sugar
     1/2 cup flour
     1/2 t. vanilla
     3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, regular or minis or even mini M&M's

     Stir together the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Stir in the flour and chips.  Form into mini balls or chunks and put on a piece of parchment on a baking tray.  Put into the freezer to freeze.

Maple Nut Ice Cream

One half vanilla ice cream base - omit the vanilla
2 t. maple flavor
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix the base and add the maple flavor.  Freeze beginning to get thick.  Add the nuts and finish freezing.

Note: Of course you can add anything you like.  Mashed raspberries or strawberries.  Mystic mint cookies chopped.  Reese's pieces, M&M's, chocolate chips, cookie dough, whatever.

Royal Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Renlund's had Matt, Heather, Dan and I to dinner in Joburg and Ruth served this ice cream.  She used a Bournville Dark chocolate bar.  It was memorable.  She served one scoop each and that was satisfying.

3 cups cream

1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk (found in the Asian food section)

3/4  cup sugar

2 (3.5 oz.) Cadbury Royal Dark chocolate bars (I found this at Smith's)

1 t. vanilla

Heat the cream and coconut milk to medium.  Add the sugar and chocolate bars and stir until chocolate melts.  Add the vanilla.  Chill about 30 to 45 minutes.  Put in the Cuisinart and freeze.

Variations:

Alpine Milk Chocolate

1 (3.5 oz.) Ritter's Alpine Milk chocolate in place of the Royal Dark

This is a lighter flavor and is fabulous in an Oreo cone.

Chocolate Mint Oreo Ice Cream
Okay, this is the BEST ice cream!

1 cup coarsely chopped Oreo's, about 8 

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 cups cream

1 t. vanilla

3/4 t. peppermint extract

Pinch of salt

Place the Oreo's in the refrigerator while making the ice cream.

In a bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir until melted.  Microwave for another 20 seconds if it is not quite melted.  Pour into a saucepan and add the milk.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted into the milk and it is smooth.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until light and lemon colored.  Add the cream, vanilla and salt.  Mix.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend.  Cover and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.  Put in the Cuisinart and freeze.  When it is almost finished, add the Oreo cookie bits.

Note:  If you have ever used spearmint extract you will find that it tastes more like toothpaste.  

If you leave out the peppermint and Oreo's, you have the Ben and Jerry's rich chocolate base.  You can use that for whatever you like.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

A summer delight!

4 peaches, skins and pit removed, pureed in the blender

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 (11.5 oz.) can peach nectar

2 cups cream

Mix the pureed peaches and the sugar.  Add the peach nectar and cream.  Place in the Cuisinart and freeze.