What's your favorite ice-cream recipe?

August 30, 2014 4:43 PM

I got one of these for my birthday: KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment and would like to actually use it. This is on it's way: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery But I would like to make something in it this weekend, so hit me with your favorite ice-cream recipe. Obviously, needs to work in the above.
posted by cjorgensen to Food & Drink (23 answers total)

My favorite ice cream recipes come from David Lebovitz, who wrote the book on ice cream, The Perfect Scoop. Every one is terrific; his vanilla is divine.

I've also been working through variations on the NY Times Master Ice Cream Recipe, but I haven't had the same luck as with the Lebovitz recipes. Vanilla was great, but salted caramel was so intense and cherry vanilla was too icy (maybe a fault of my setup, which: keep your Kitchenaid and the air around it as cold as possible, and definitely pre-freeze your mix for about 15-25 minutes before churning. This helps it freeze more quickly and reduces ice crystals).
posted by The Michael The at 4:51 PM on August 30, 2014 [3 favorites]

So this is frozen yogurt and not ice cream, but I promise this recipe is delightful and incredibly easy. I've made it in my KitchenAid ice cream attachment a bunch of times with great success. I always use Greek yogurt.
posted by katie at 5:12 PM on August 30, 2014

1. Carmelize 2c of sugar in a large pot.
2. Add 2c of heavy cream and 2c buttermilk. Whisk until smooth. Cook until steaming.
3. Stir sloooowly into 10 (not a typo) beaten egg yolks.
4. Back into pot. Heat to 170 if you're pedantic, or until it starts to thicken otherwise.
5. Pour through sieve into a bowl, add a splash of vanilla and a bit of salt, and into the fridge for a day.
6. Churn to soft-serve. If there's any left over, freeze until ice cream.
posted by Dashy at 5:14 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love making this dulce de leche ice cream. Not a custard, so pretty easy.
posted by tealcake at 5:19 PM on August 30, 2014

ps. For my kitchen aid bowl, I find that filling a 6c liquid measuring cup with the base is a good amount, and makes it easy to pour into the bowl.

Also, strainer, not sieve above.
posted by Dashy at 5:32 PM on August 30, 2014

I've made a lot of ice cream over the last couple years. This is absolutely the best one.
posted by neroli at 5:43 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've been pretty happy with Alton Brown's custard base ice cream recipe.
posted by notyou at 5:47 PM on August 30, 2014

If you are a fan of Thai iced tea, I love this Thai tea ice cream.
posted by EmGegs at 6:01 PM on August 30, 2014

I made this strawberry basil ice cream in the very same contraption and it turned out super great. Like, a guest who doesn't normally like strawberries loved it, and a different guest who doesn't normally like basil loved it.

The keys to the KitchenAid attachment: freeze that bowl solid for at LEAST 24 hours, preferably more. I just keep my bowl in the freezer at all times so it's ready to go. It works best if your kitchen isn't too warm. Also, make the batter the night before and let it fully chill in the fridge overnight. Don't overfill the bowl - it should be about 2/3-3/4 full no more; air will get churned into the ice cream as it freezes so it increases in volume.
posted by misskaz at 6:10 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

You know what I do?

~ 1 pint half & half
~ 1/2 cup sugar
1 shitload vanilla extract

Mix, use ice cream maker.

Spatula it into a tupperware, add any mix-ins (smashed cookies, candy, caramel, cinnamon & graham crackers, whatever) and throw back in the freezer for 6 more hours.

Tips: Be sure the ice cream maker is properly chilled first. 18 hours in the freezer.
If it's hot in your kitchen, wrapping a towel around the ice cream maker will preserve its cooling power.
It works better if your ingredients are cold. So if you do one of the french-style ice creams where you make a custard, you have to cool it before you make ice cream. A metal bowl in an ice bath works okay for this, but I prefer american style ice cream (no egg) anyway so am happy to skip this step
posted by aubilenon at 6:24 PM on August 30, 2014

I've made this Earl Grey Ice Cream but I used chamomile tea instead of the earl grey. It was amazing! (It would probably be amazing with earl grey, too. Or Constant Comment, which is the tea I grew up with, and is delicious.)
posted by Weeping_angel at 6:47 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

Brown sugar sour cream ice cream has a whole lot going on flavorwise for such a simple recipe. Try it with fresh peaches or nectarines.
posted by contraption at 7:07 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

@neroli - What kind of cream is meant by "2 cups cream" in that recipe? Or is that a matter of choice?
posted by SNACKeR at 7:14 PM on August 30, 2014

At this, the yummy time of year I would focus on whatever fruit is in season, epecially locally.

I lived in Urbandale for five years and I know Ames isn't quite the Wenatchee valley as far as orchards and berries go but I found this tool for orchards; http://www.orangepippin.com/orchards/united-states/iowa and this tool for orchards and berries; http://www.pickyourown.org/IAdesmoines.php.
posted by vapidave at 7:36 PM on August 30, 2014

What kind of cream is meant by "2 cups cream" in that recipe?

I used a mainstream US brand organic heavy cream - which I believe is about 40% butterfat. I think double cream would be the Canadian equivalent.

But I've found that cream type -- and cream/milk ratio -- is pretty flexible. Obviously the more fat in the dairy, but richer the ice cream will be. But texture and taste is still good within a pretty wide range of fat content.

With that butterscotch recipe, I have found that good whiskey actually does make a difference.
posted by neroli at 7:37 PM on August 30, 2014

I'm just gonna throw this out there -- since you haven't used this before, it sounds like, I'd start with a basic vanilla just to get a feel for how it works and get the basic mechanics down. Once you know you can get the consistency and everything right, then I'd start adding solid pieces and other craziness.
posted by AppleTurnover at 8:04 PM on August 30, 2014 [2 favorites]

1L 35% cream
1 vanilla bean
1/2c white sugar
5 egg yolks

Beat egg yolks with sugar with a whisk until sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is pale yellow, light and airy.

Bring cream to a boil with the vanilla bean sliced in half lengthwise, seeds scraped out. Throw the bean in too.

Allow the cream to cool slightly, then slo-o-o-o-o-o-wly beat the cream into the egg yolks with a whisk. (All of this beating can be done in the same kitchenaid mixer you have, just use the balloon whisk attachment).

Return mixture to a double boiler and beat gently until it starts to thicken. Pour through a strainer to get the vanilla pod, and just in case any of the yolk has curdled. Pour strained mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer directions.

I can't remember my chocolate ice cream recipe and have no idea where it's written down, sorry.

For bonus points, once your ice cream has been churned, you can stir in salted brown sugar caramel. Roughly:

1c brown sugar, packed
4tbsp water
salt to taste

Mix sugar and water, put in a pot. Place pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened nicely. If you are concerned about burning sugar onto the sides of the pot, brush the sides with water using a pastry brush from time to time. (Adding a small amount of lemon juice to the water is more effective, to my mind, but I have neither proof nor evidence for this assertion.)

Remove from heat, pour into another bowl, allow to cool until cool enough to taste. Season to your taste with salt; you're aiming for sweet with a little punch of salty. If you want to make the caramel extra rich, pour it into a large bowl (glass, ceramic, or steel) and beat in a couple tablespoons of butter and roughly the same amount of cream. Alcohol is also a fine addition at this stage--bourbon is great, or sortilege.

Stir caramel into your ice cream after churning, before putting into the freezer, to get ribbons.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:24 PM on August 30, 2014

Seconding David Lebovitz. His coffee ice cream recipe is my favorite!
posted by swheatie at 7:27 PM on August 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Here's a link to DL's coffee.
posted by swheatie at 7:32 PM on August 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

For a corn themed party many years ago someone brought corn ice cream. She made it by adding a bit of honey and a bag of frozen sweet corn to a basic vanilla recipe.

It was delicious.
posted by phunniemee at 4:47 AM on September 4, 2014

Another vote for David Leibovitz's Coffee Ice Cream recipe. One of the best things I've ever made! Just a caveat that his recipes run pretty sweet, and I usually reduce the sugar to about 75% of whatever he calls for.

If you want to try his recipes before you buy the book (though you should absolutely buy the book), he has some of them online here.
posted by kidsleepy at 7:27 AM on September 4, 2014

And an ice cream tip - often recipes call for a combo of whole milk and heavy cream. I "cheat" and just substitute half and half for both, with no detriment to the final outcome.
posted by kidsleepy at 7:29 AM on September 4, 2014

David Lebovitz often uses the technique of making a warm custard base, which then requires cooling. I am waaay too lazy & impatient for that! The Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book uses recipes that skip the warm custard steps -- I believe these are called Philadelphia-stlye (as opposed to French-style) ice cream.

B&J recipes have you whisk the eggs, whisk in the sugar, then stir in cream & milk & flavors/colors before chilling in the ice cream maker. I can crank out a batch of this in half an hour (including doing the dishes).

I often use ideas from Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop for inspiration, but start with the Ben & Jerry's "Sweet Cream Base" recipe. Here are some of his ice cream recipes, though my favorite of his -- Malted Milk Ball -- is actually at Michael Ruhlman's web site.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:43 AM on September 5, 2014