Question for ice cream makers...

A

andreaindc

Well-known member
How long do you churn your ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker? I have a cuisinart and can't seem to get it just right. I made the Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream today - froze the bowl for 24 hours and chilled the base overnight. Mixed it til it was the consistency of a milkshake (15 mins.), but I think it was too soupy when I stopped it (although it still tasted great!) - I think I've overmixed some recipes in the past (25 mins.) and lost some of the smoothness of the mixture. Any advice on how you know when its done?

TIA!

 
Hi Andrea, I made the same ice cream today - I'm waiting for it to harden in the freezer before

posting my review. Anyway, mine came out nice and creamy, not soupy at all. (I have the Krups La Glaciere). I waited until the ice cream maker stopped churning, about 15 - 20 minutes. Are you sure your freezer bowl is cold enough for ice cream? I use a freezer thermometer to make sure the freezer is at the right temperature. It should be at least 0 degrees for ice cream, although I prefer it at about 8-10 below. Also, I leave the bowl in the freezer for a minimum of 32 hours before processing.

 
funny, i was just puzzling over this last night. my KA says 20 min will give you soft icecream

consistency, and that you must freeze it further in the freezer if you want a firmer texture. this batch started out on the runnier side as i used hazelnut syrup to flavor, so it didn't really ripen till the 30 min mark. i'm not sure if other icecream makers would use the same time frame? i keep the bowl in the freezer so it's well frozen.

 
I think I need to go to remedial ice cream school...

I don't think my machine (at least 7 y.o.) has an automatic shut off. I stopped it earlier than I usually do after reading a David Lebovitz blog that 10-15 mins works in his machine and someone else's blog that it should look like a milkshake. Maybe I'm not churning it enough... I just didn't want to end up with a texture that wasn't smooth. How frozen does yours look when it stops, Meryl?

 
I find mine solidifies on a case by case basis...some harder than others....

This is all really dependent on the liquid ratio and what type it is (if it has a touch of alcohol...that will have an effect on the freezing, etc.) Some of my ice creams and/or sorbets freeze rock hard, some don't.

However, when I'm churning the base before it goes into the freezer...I let it get pretty thick (not soupy). The point of the churning is also to introduce air (which is why gelato is so creamy and requires a machine with more power).

In my recent expriaments, I've noticed some bases set up sooner than others, which is why I just keep an eye on them. I set my timer for 15 minutes and check it. While mine never is done at 15 minutes, I can gague approximately how much longer it will take. For my machine, it's usually about a half an hour total.

Machines vary so much, my advice is to look at the texture. I pull mine out of the maker shortly before soft-serve consistency.

 
Hey Traca, I just tried the ice cream from the freezer, and it's fantastic!

When I made the base, it was too sweet for me, so I kept adding instant espresso powder, to taste (I use a strong Cuban brand), until I got it the way I wanted it, about 3/4 - 1 tsp. Next time I'll just add the espresso powder to the brewed espresso. I used espresso powder, as opposed to the finely ground beans, since it dissolves much better.
Next time I may add some chopped dark chocolate to the mix.

With the leftover brewed espresso, I made Dorie Greenspan's Coffee Break Muffins, and I must say, they really sucked. I've had good results with the few things I've made from her, but these were a disaster - mushy texture and bland taste. They immediately went into the garbage.

But, the ice cream, now that's another story - absolutely perfect. I've never been able to find a good strong coffee ice cream, commercially made, (or a deep, intense chocolate one for that matter), so I'm glad I can make it myself! Thank you soooo much for this recipe!

 
I use an old fashioned ice cream maker, ice and rock salt, ith a motor! it turns off when it's done,

The custard based ice creams that I have made have to be really stiff and hard to turn when they are done, a little firmer than soft serve. Then you pack them into a nice tupperware tub and let harden overnight (if you have the patience!)

 
Definitely not like a milkshake! I wait until it's almost soft-serve consistency, as Traca does..

Also, my ice cream maker generally stops churning at that point, so I don't really have to worry about overchurning. As for David Lebovitz's machine, his will take less time, since he has a more expensive machine with a built-in freezer, not the types we have with the freezer bowls.

And as I said previously, it would be a good idea to check your freezer temperature with a freezer thermometer, and make sure it's cold enough. Although, I would think it's okay, since you made the Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream with no problem, right?

 
YAY!!! You know, I thought about adding espresso powder when we

were chatting a while back...I'm so glad to hear it worked out.

By the way, what kind of Cuban espressow powder do you use? I've never seen it here in Seattle. But when I went to Cuba, I brought back some coffee and I swear, it's the best I've ever had! It still haunts me....

Dorrie Greenspan...whoa. Don't even get me started. The publishing house made a big deal about making that their darling book last year and I can honestly say, I wish I never bought it. The few things I've made are rather amateurish and not nearly the calibur of a result that I'd expect from someone who played with Pierre Hermes. Ugh.

Okay, your next assignment is to try David Lebovitz's chocolate sorbet. I used Fleschlin cocoa powder and just regular chocolate (Ghiradelli chips 'cause I can guess at the weight...I REALLY need to buy a scale...) If David's chocolate sorbet doesn't do it for you, I don't know what will!

One thing I will say...I have made that recipe so many times...I've started substituting out some cream or milk for the last addition of water. Whether you play with milk or not...it really doesn't have a significant impact. I've just made it so many times, I'm getting a little expiramental.

Also, mine seems to come out just slightly grainy from the cocoa powder (I don't know if I need to boil the heck out of it remove that or what), but the flavor is so big and bold, I really don't care. It's delish....and it's especially good served side by side with the Vietnamese coffee ice cream. smileys/smile.gif

 
Traca, I use Bustelo instant espresso. I brought it with me when I moved out of Floriduh (no offense

intended for you FK Floridians, but I hated it there). I can't find it here in NC, and I'm scarily down to my last jar, so I guess I'll just have to get ripped off and order it online, unless some kind FK person wants to send me a few jars. Is anyone listening out there ???? smileys/smile.gif

I agree with you about Cuban coffee. Some of the best coffee I ever had was at Victor's, my favorite Cuban restaurant in NYC - it was on the Upper West Side, a few blocks from my apartment. The food was incredible - best paella and seafood paella I ever had, not to mention the roast pig, shredded beef, even their red snapper in a simple butter/garlic sauce, all of which were served with the best black beans and rice. And their tamales, fried bananas, plus the best natilla I ever had. Oh man, I'm getting hungry for that food. But back to the coffee, it was definitely rich and deep. I also had incredible espresso when I was in Spain. I used to get cafe cortado, which was espresso topped with a tiny bit of milk.

I don't know if I would like chocolate sorbet in general. I tried one once, but it was mediocre and not a good representation. I know you said this one was a little grainy, but is it kind of icy like most sorbets? I actually like sherbet more than sorbet, but it's almost nonexistent, recipe-wise. The addition of cream sounds like a good idea, but you said it doesn't make a big difference. It does sound like it would be great with the coffee ice cream, though.

I've only tried 3 recipes from Dorie Greenspan: the Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream, Cinnamon Squares, and the horrible coffeee muffins. The ice cream is fantastic, but the directions are lousy. For example, she doesn't indicate to strain the custard before adding it to the melted chocolate. So, in other words, if one likes several scrambled egg pieces in their ice cream, then this recipe will work out fine. I just find the lack of good directions totally unforgivable. I mentioned on egullet that she had left out an important step, and NO ONE said a word. She reads all the posts there under "Baking From My Home To Yours," so I would assume she saw my post, but I never heard anything from her.

The Cinnamon Squares were delicious with a few tweaks, (way too much cinnamon even for me, and I'm a cinnamon freak, so I reduced it), but after freezing and thawing the leftovers, they took on a very, very sticky, mushy texture. I've frozen tons and tons of baked goods over the years, and have never seen that happen. So, most of them made it into the garbage. Drag. Now I'm afraid to try any more of her recipes!

By the way, you never gave me a report on the Felchlin cocoa powder. Is it as good as you thought it would be?

 
ok... I think I didn't let it go long enough...

my freezer temp is zero, and yes, the chocolate ice cream came out great, so I will just make it again and let it go longer next time. thanks!

 
Is this the one? Check the link. (and oh-so-much more...)

Wow, the Cuban food you're familiar with is MUCH different that I had in Cuba. Those damn food rations...I swear, I can't eat ham & cheese without thinking about Cuba. Ham and cheese pizza, ham & cheese sandwhiches, ham & cheese on top of fish...it was crazy!

Mmm...I'm a big fan of that deep, rich coffee too. The best I had was in Cuba and I'm hoping to get to Italy & Spain in the next couple years. Definitely looking forward to the coffee.

And as for Dorie, I have a feeling a lot of the book's issues had more to do with her publisher than her. Sometimes the publisher rushes books to print (obviously they wanted to capture the Christmas gift-giving season) and I really don't think they took the care to edit it properly. Also, my guess is, the recipes weren't tested. It sucks for Dorie because those factors are mostly out of her control. There are so many factors involved in making a great book...and I think that one is a miss on many levels.

It's funny, over the past year, I've had the chance to talk in depth with many well-known cookbook writers. And over time, I've honed it down to one big question...Every big project is filled with compromises. What did you compromise on that you wish you hadn't? And I always ask about how they tested the recipes. Some do it themselves, some invite friends & family to try the recipes, and some tap into their readership. It's really interesting. And the editor also makes a huge difference. They can make or break a project.

But you know what? If the book isn't good or is missing on some level...the finger goes straight back to the person whose name is on the cover. Regardless of whether things are their fault or not. It makes me really respect those authors who are willing to take a stand and say, if it's not going to be right, then I don't want to do it at all. Now, I have much more respect for that. Before, I would have thought they were just being prima donna...but now...not so much.

And don't even get me started about those who have ghost writers write their book! My friend is a ghost writer and she's absolutely sworn to secrecy about who her clients are, but she has said I own several of their books (which is no help because I have well over 100 titles...). She's an amazing cook and yet, the majority of her published work is unrecognized.

Okay, my publishing house rant is over....

Ah and the Felchlin cocoa powder...I'm very happy with it. I bought 2 - 2lb bags when I went down to the distributors and I'm so glad I did. I no longer wince when a recipe calls for a cup of cocoa powder!

http://store.cubanfoodguy.com/product_info.php?products_id=193

 
Yeah, that's the one. And that's the site I have saved on Favorites if I have to order it online.

I'm going to see if my supermarket will order it for me - they do a lot of special orders. It's so much better than Medaglia D'Oro, which I tried once to see what everyone was raving about. It was really disappointing. Much, much, much weaker than the Bustelo, and hence, I had to use 5 or 6 times more, and still didn't get the same depth or intensity. And on top of it all, it's much more expensive than the Bustelo. I use a Tbsp or so of Bustelo in all my chocolate baking - it really enhances everything. And sometimes when I'm too lazy to brew espresso to add to cake batter, I just add a few Tbsp of Bustelo to some boiling water, and use that, and many times I use both brewed espresso and a Tbsp of the instant, as in the ice cream. Oh, I forgot to mention that I reduced the ice cream ingredient amounts so I could use a 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, which is 1 1/4 cups, rather than the 1 1/2 cups, so I added about 3/4 - 1 tsp instant espresso to a lesser amount of the whole (if that makes sense smileys/smile.gif

Very interesting about the book writing/publishing world. Man, Traca, you've been around!!! I don't really blame Dorie for the mistake, and she sounds like a very nice, helpful person, but it just irritated me that no one, not even she, responded to my "brilliant" (ha)! observation about the ice cream. I've seen so many mistakes in a lot of recipes, and specifically, the missing step of straining custard, which is really the most important step - it can make or break it. It's too bad, because a lot of people will have lousy results and all because of faulty editing!

 
Another question on homemade ice cream: Freezer bricks

Last weekend we made a beautiful Bing Cherry, Walnut, and Chocolate Chip ice cream with Schwarzwald Cherry Liqueur. We put it in the freezer during dinner and it was a wonderful texture to serve. The next day it was a brick. By the time it tokk to soften enough to scoop, it was melting.

Any tricks to keep homemade icecream from turning into a brick when its stored?

TIA

 
Richard, you want a bit of alcohol in that ice cream. Since alcohol doesn't freeze, it

sets up beautifully. A little almond or cherry liquor should do you just fine! Play around with the measurements but it's usually less than you might think...1-2 tablespoons should do it just fine.

I just consulted my Chez Panisse Desserts book and they have a Kirsch Sherbert. For 1 pint, they recommend 2 tablespoons of 90-proof kirsch.

And back at the restuarant, one of my favorite ice creams they made was a cognac ice cream. Based on a Chez Panisse recipe also in the dessert book, for 1 quart of ice cream, use 1/4 cup alcohol (dark rum, cognac, etc.)

 
I've never been happy with my Donvier. No matter how long I freeze the container and

chill the base, it never quite gets there for me.

Of course, I snapped the molded plastic paddle within the first 5 times of using the dang thing and had to order another one. So perhaps I over-turn too early now in a zealous attempt not to freeze up and snap another blade.

And then the ice cream freezes rock-hard once packed in the frig.

I'm honestly scared to cough up the $300 for a good electric one because ice cream would be on every menu. Don't know Traca does it. That girl's got WAY more will-power than I have.

 
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