There is only one thing better than ice cream on a hot summer's day and that is homemade ice cream! This is easy to do, thanks to the invention of the ice cream machine for the domestic market. They come in manual or electric versions; the manual variety is obviously a longer process with frozen batches being needed before mixing. The electric machines have a built in freezer unit.
These handy kitchen gadgets can make ice cream quickly and in whatever quantity and shape is desired. It's fun to experiment with different ingredients and the consumer has the freedom to choose a healthier option by choosing low fat milk and cream. If anyone in the family suffers from a food allergy such as nuts, this is easily avoided. The freshest ingredients can be used, such as freshly picked fruit. Most machines on sale come with a helpful book of recipes.
The classic recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream is always a favorite and is usually a custard base, using egg yolks, double cream, vanilla extract and caster sugar. This basic method can then be added to when preparing other sorts of ice cream in the ice cream machine. The addition of cocoa will of course make chocolate and chocolate chip varieties. Other popular choices include strawberry, banana, mint chocolate and pecan and maple syrup.
Other more unusual flavors are available in stores these days and there is nothing to stop people with an ice cream machine from making these as well. Some of these may seem eccentric but they really are tasty! Surprising treats can be made, such as Christmas Pudding Ice Cream, Brown Bread Ice Cream and Green Tea Ice Cream. Other varieties may involve stem ginger, coconut, pistachio nuts or blueberry yogurt. Ice Cream Sandwiches are also popular and simple to achieve. After the ice cream has been made in the ice cream machine, the ice cream is shaped into a rectangular block and placed between two ice cream wafers.
Ice Cream Sorbet was mainly used in between courses at dinner parties, to refresh the diners before the next course was served. Sorbets are enjoyed in their own right in restaurants today and these too can be made with the aid of the ice cream machine. These water ices, as they are also called, do not require any milk or cream and are simply made with water, fruit and sugar. Corn Syrup can be added for extra flavor and alcohol is sometimes added, especially champagne or white wine.
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