July 14, 2013

Ice Cream!

Vanilla goat milk ice cream churning in my new Cuisinart ice cream maker

What finer summer treat is there than homemade ice cream? It's the one dairy product I hadn't made until I finally bought an ice cream maker. A long time ago we had a hand crank one, but it got left behind in one of our long distance moves. I'd often thought about replacing it, but considered that it would take awhile to save up enough milk for a two gallon ice cream churn. Plus, that would be a lot of ice cream for just the two of us.

Somehow I found out about the newer small quantity electric models. They require no chipped ice nor rock salt, have a capacity of one and a half quarts, and make ice cream in 15 to 20 minutes. I would ordinarily prefer anything nonelectric, but because Dan isn't always home I know the cranking would fall to me. In that case, we wouldn't have ice cream very often.

There are two kinds of ice cream recipes, cooked and not cooked. Cooked require making a custard of cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks beforehand and chilling before putting in the ice cream maker. No-cook means mixing cream, milk, and sugar, chilling the mixture if there's enough time, and then making ice cream. Some no-cook recipes call for egg yolk as well.

So far I've only tried the no-cook method. Time and planning are big factors. Plus we haven't had many eggs since the scare in the hen house. To date I've made vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, peach, and carob ice cream.

Typical ice cream recipes for these small ice cream makers call for either 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk, or 2 cups cream and 2 cups milk. Because goats don't produce the volumes of cream cows do, (see how to obtain cream from goats milk can be found in my butter making post), I experimented with a lower cream recipe. I found that 1 cup cream and 2 cups milk still gives an acceptable, tasty ice cream. I also adjusted the sugar, because the 3/4 cup called for is too sweet, unless tarter fruits or cocoa powder are being added.

Basic Goat Milk Ice Cream (no cook)

1 cup cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
dash of sea salt
* flavoring

*Flavorings
  • Vanilla - add 1 - 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • Carob - add 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered carob
  • Sweet fruits - 1/2 - 1 cup pureed 

Mix well and chill for as long as you have time for. Freeze as directed.

Chocolate or Fruit Goat Milk Ice Cream

1 cup cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar (more sugar for unsweetened cocoa powder or tart fruits)
dash of sea salt
* flavoring

*Flavorings
  • Chocolate - add 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • Fresh fruit - add 1/2 to 1 cup pureed

Mix well and chill for as long as you have time for. Freeze as directed.

Recipe Note: Pureeing the fruit beforehand is necessary, unless one wants rocks of hard frozen fruit in their ice cream.

With no antifreeze added it does get pretty hard if it sits in the freezer for many days. I've learned to not store it in the ice cream freezer bowl and to take it out about 15 minutes before serving. Other than that, you can't beat it.

Ice Cream! © July 2013 

19 comments:

Tombstone Livestock said...

Leftover ice cream ... not a problem here, it becomes a milkshake, iced coffee, pie ala mode, LOL.

Enjoy, it's going to be a long HOT summer, just right for ice cream.

Quinn said...

Wish I had a bowl right now!

Sharm said...

Sounds great, wish we had access to fresh milk here!

Anonymous said...

That looks so yummy!!!

Renee Nefe said...

The thing that I have noticed with no cook ice cream recipes is that I get a "waxy" feel in my mouth when eating them. I'm guessing that's from the fat in the cream. Do you know if there is a way to prevent that?

Your ice cream looks very yummy!

Ngo Family Farm said...

Oh yay!! This is so timely for me! I've been so wanting to try making ice cream from our (new!) goat's milk, but couldn't find much in the way of recipes. I also have been at a loss about purchasing an ice cream maker. I can't seem to find an affordable hand cranked one, and the recipes for making ice cream without a machine require a lot of time and attention (neither of which I have at the moment with a newborn in the house). I've seen the smaller capacity electric machines, and I'm really glad to know you've had good results with this. Maybe now I'll pick one up, too :)
-Jaime

Anonymous said...

One word: YUM!!! lol! :)

Leigh said...

TL, oh, milkshakes! What a great idea. Or to add to iced coffee, yum. When I was a kid, my grandmother used to make us each a "black cow" or root beer float. A favorite!

Quinn, looks good, doesn't it. :)

Sharmayne, for pure ice cream I'd probably try any milk!

Stephanie, and it is. ;)

Renee, I have noticed that waxiness, but hadn't thought it through. I believe you when you say it's the no-cook recipe. I've noticed that even heating milk a little (as in below pasteurization levels) seems to effect cream separating from the milk. I'll have to experiment some. Thanks for the tidbit.

Jaime, same dilemma here! The Cuisinart got really high customer reviews and we've been very happy with it.

Pam, agreed!

Florida Farm Girl said...

Oh, that sounds so good!! I haven't made ice cream in years and keep forgetting that just because the canister holds a gallon, I don't have to MAKE a whole gallon!!!

Ed said...

My wife got one of those for Christmas one year from my folks and it has been one of the best gifts she has ever received. I can't hardly stand to eat a bowl of store bought ice cream anymore because it lacks flavor. She makes ice cream with real vanilla beans and real chocolate and I almost swoon with taste bud overload everytime I have a small bowl.

DFW said...

There are 3 things that I don't know that I can live without ...1) potatoes; 2) cheese & 3) Ice Cream! Homemade is always the best. Your's looks delicious!

Hannah said...

The ice cream looks really good and I bet it tastes really good too, how great to find a good maker. I don't have goats but drink goat milk since I seem to react to Cow's milk casein. I am blessed to have a country store near me that sells it. I make kefir, and enjoy partly freezing the kefir with fruit juice or cooked fruit in it (I sweeten with Stevia), it makes it like a fruit slushy. It is very refreshing.

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

I love homemade ice cream. We don't have an ice cream machine. My husband is constantly talking about how he used to make homemade ice cream when he was younger and he would get stuck cranking the machine all the time.

I would love to surprise him with a small electric machine one of these days.

Leigh said...

Sue, so maybe it's time to get it out and dust it off? :)

Ed, it's wonderful using real ingredients, isn't it? I used to get Breyers, until I discovered they no longer make natural ice creams anymore. But, with our own milk supply, it just makes sense to make our own.

DFW, thanks! I have to say I can agree with your list. :)

Hannah, I've been thinking about trying a kefir ice cream! I do make kefir smoothies with kefir and frozen fruit in the blender.

Sandy, I imagine your husband would love one of these little electric ones. No hand cranking!

Nina said...

Yum! I've wondered about an ice cream maker. We used to have one which had a tub that you kept in the freezer and hand cranked. It made tasty enough ice cream, but was such a pain to use, clean and store that we didn't end up using it often. That was 20 years ago though and I'm hopeful that technology has made ice cream makers more user friendly.

Bill said...

I have very fond memories of making homemade ice cream on Sunday afternoons in the summers of my childhood. Especially when the peaches were ripe. :)

Sherri B. said...

I am so tempted to get a machine now that I have read your yummy post. I think I don't dare though as I can see myself making all sorts of ice cream and having to buy an entire new wardrobe of larger sizes (I love ice cream way too much).

Thanks for sharing about the Cuisinart, daughter is on the hunt for a machine right now. xo

Leigh said...

Nina, the hand crank ice cream makers are most fun for company. Makes for a lovely nostalgic memory. I do like the tub-in-the-freezer concept. Eliminates the need to buy chipped ice and rock salt. :)

Bill, those are lovely memories!

Sherri, yes, the calories are a problem. :) The Cuisinart got great customer ratings and reviews, which is why I got that particular brand. I can definitely recommend it as well.

* Crystal * said...

Oh thank you!!! I've been looking for an ice cream maker that didn't need ice/salt but wasn't sure which would be a good option :)
Thanks for sharing, save me a bowl of that if ya don't mind ;)