Any tips for a Newbie ice cream maker?

buckytom

Grill Master
i received a cuisinart ice cream maker for christmas, and i'm hoping to finally get to use it this sunday. the bucket thing is in the freezer, so i'm ready to go.

i was wondering if anyone has good tips or techniques for making ice cream in this or similar machines? any favourite recipes, except those already posted? i've read through all of them here, and allen's basic recipe looks good, as well as mama's butter pecan.

are there any decent ways of substituting fat or sugar content? (i know, shame on me for saying that. :neutral:)
what sweeteners work? should i make simple syrups with them?
how could i cut down on using heavy cream or whole eggs?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!! (i was screaming...)
 

RobsanX

Potato peeler
Super Site Supporter
There are recipes that don't use eggs. I believe JOC has one. I tried it, and it was tasty, but hard as a rock when frozen, and runny as it melted. The eggs act as an emulsifier that helps soften it when frozen, and keep it creamy as it melts.

I'm sure you can use it to make things like sherbets, and frozen yogurts too.
 

AllenOK

New member
Bucky, please remember that my recipe is a "work in progress". I haven't made a batch in 4 years. I've been working on the basic recipe for about 12 years.

Adjusting the ratios of milk : cream : egg will give the resulting ice cream different densities, textures, hardness, etc. All that has to be taken into account for your personal preferences.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
thanks rob and allen.

i figured that the less cream i put in, the more of an ice milk (thin and more slushy) i'd be making.

what about just adding egg whites? would that work ok?

also, what about a sugar substitute? from some initial reading, it appears that nutrasweet (aspartame) or splenda (sucralose).
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
BT, I cannot offer any helpful information whatsoever (well, regarding this subject, I mean).

I urge you, however, to make whole fat, whole sugar MOCHA!!!!

I love mocha ice cream, and it's hard to find good mocha these days.

Lee
 

buckytom

Grill Master
oh, then you woulda loved my favourite cake from entenmann's. it was the brownie crumb ring.

a white cake ring, covered in mocha frosting with a hint of maple syrup, topped with brownie crumbs. mmmmmmmmmmmm.
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
Congratulations on your new toy BT! It's a lot of fun! If I was going to add a sugar substitute, I think I would try stevia instead of the others but I've heard that you have to be careful what brand you use because of the aftertaste. I've heard Trader Joes has a good one.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
thanks mama, i'll check it out. i wanted to read a little into stevia. i've heard some health warnings about stevia and was wondering if they were possibly a threat as my boy and i will be the ones mostly eating my icy experiments, or if they weren't a real concern (like the bladder cancer in rats from aspartame thing).
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I am surprised it didn't come with a few recipes BT. Now the last time I made ice cream I was about 6 years old and got to turn the crank a few times. You might look at Food Networks site as there are probably some formulas there and for sure the Cuisinart Site as I know they have recipes for all of their appliances.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
thanks josie. it did come with a recipe book, but i knew some of the folks here have the same machine so i was tapping their particular expertise.

i have no problem dumping in heavy cream and refined sugar, but i'll need to make some healthy concessions if i expect dw to try it.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
thanks joe. i'll check them out.

i've found some interesting stuff on using gelatin to replace the texture of fats. will post results next week.

i need to go get some vanilla beans and pecans. and gelatin.
 

AllenOK

New member
You might also want to look into the feasibility of carageenan and xantham gum as stabilizers, if you're wanting to cut out some of the egg yolks. I haven't thought about trying just egg whites.

I do know that Nutasweet and Aspartame have been used for years as a sugar substitute in ice cream. But, there's always that aftertaste.

Brownie crumbs, huh??? How abouts someone here formulate a decadently-rich, double-chocolate gellato with brownie chunks and chocolate chunks? Crud, another indulgent thought: Buttered Pecan ice cream with Blondie chunks?

I better stop. I feel the weight starting to add one already.
 
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