By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
A few years ago, I went camping with some friends to celebrate my roommate’s recent engagement. It was a hot summer night, so we decided that after hiking, we would make some ice cream.
Ashley, my roommate, pulled out heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract from a giant cooler and poured the ingredients into a giant wooden bucket with a crank on the top. We took turns turning and turning the crank, slowly adding ice cubes into the bucket. When the creamy liquid wouldn’t harden, we added some salt. And cranked and cranked and cranked. The liquid wasn’t turning into a solid.
It took over two hours until we finally had soft-serve ice cream. Our arms were sore and sweaty, and the ice cream wasn’t even that decadent. I couldn’t help but think that we could have just picked up popsicles from the general store in half the time it took to make our own dessert.
Homemade ice cream has been a challenge for millions of people around the world. It takes lots of strength and patience for mediocre results. Hundreds of ice cream makers are on the market, with some being plastic balls you roll around your kitchen and others being high-tech electric churners. How can we make heart-stoppingly-good ice cream without the stress?
There are several ways to make homemade ice cream without the hassle, but it’s important to keep in mind some ice cream basics. Quality ice cream is made of heavy cream and sugar and varying flavor ingredients, like strawberries, mint, chocolate or coffee. I always prefer my ice cream to include crunchy additives like pretzels, almonds, cookie dough or brownie bites. You can also add swirls of fudge, peanut butter, caramel or cinnamon sugar. The combinations are endless!
Here are some flavor ideas that will wow your tasting audience: cinnamon bun swirl, very berry (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), pinneapple coconut rum, peppermint mocha (coffee, chocolate and mint), peanut butter cookie dough, hazelnut chai latte, red velevet cookies and cream, apple butter pecan, caramel pretzel, and rosemary lemonade.
Make sure that all of your ingredients are evenly mixed so that every bite can be balanced. Use an electric stand mixer to whip heavy cream, sugar and a pinch of salt on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add your main flavor, like vanilla bean paste and mix it in the cream. With a wooden spoon, slowly include cruncy add-ons or swirls of sugary sauces.
Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container (I prefer to use an aluminum loaf pan). Cover and freeze for at least 24 hours. When the ice cream has set, use a scooper to spoon scoops into bowls, or blend to make a milkshake. Your ice cream will be thick and flavorful and delicious.
Store ice cream in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to two weeks. Remember that every time you refreeze the ice cream, the dessert develops “freezer burn” and develops a metallic taste. The ice cream, if frozen for too long, will become hard like an ice cube and lose some of its rich flavor. Enjoy ice cream at barbeques, by the pool, during a family movie night, or how I enjoyed mine all those years ago, camping with your girlfriends on a hot summer night.
