Tuesday 31 August 2010

Making Ice-Cream!

I suddenly got a hankerin' for some home-made ice cream a couple of days ago... that's what happens when you watch a load of cooking programmes on tv!!

So I set about digging out my ice-cream machine. Now this is by no means a top of the range machine, in fact I think this machine isn't even in 'the range'! But it does the job (for those interested it is one of these Ice Cream Maker) and it was eventually dug out! In fact, after raking around in the barns assuming that I had yet to unpack it; worring that I had thrown, given or sold it away thinking I'd never need it again; I found it in the kitchen already unpacked in the back of a cupboard - it must be an omen, I've only ever used it once before but somehow I knew....

Anyway, a trip to the supermarket later and I had the ingredients I needed. I didn't have the instructions for the machine.... but who needs those!? I had remembered that the middle bit needed to be frozen over night before you could use it. Yes, I have tried to make ice-cream in it without any cold before... hangs head.

I decided to go for a more Italian recipe (I think) it is definately a more creamy recipe and doesn't involve eggs and that's what I call Italian, so I will continue to do so.

The Recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 pints of whole milk
1 cup skimmed milk powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
6oz caster sugar

Put everything into a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring all the time.

As soon as the mixture begins to boil remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool.

Once the mixture is completely cool pour into your ice-cream maker for the specified length of time. With my machine I have to finish the freezing process in the freezer. This entailed me pouring my mixture into a freezeable container and placing in the fridge. Every hour I went in and stirred up the mixture woth a whisk, just to break up the ice crystals. I did this about 3 times before letting it freeze completely.

If you don't have a machine then you will need to do all the freezing in the freezer, just make sure you give it a stir every hour or so as it freezes, just to keep it smooth!

This ice-cream was great and I am very pleased, I think I will use it as a base for other flavours (as well as on its own!).

With my last recipe post I made Red Velvet Cup Cakes and someone asked me if I could send in a photo of how red the sponge itself was. Well there was one left and I managed to snap a photo before it was snaffled.....


The red makes the cake seem a very rich chocolate brown colour in the photo, it is more red in real life, but this photo isn't bad and should give a good idea of the colouring!

2 comments:

  1. I have never made ice-cream this way....mind you i don't have an ice cream maker either so maybe that makes a difference but I do have a wonderful book full of delightful ice-cream which the kids love to make!!

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  2. We have an ice-cream maker which we haven't used in ages. I must dig it out and give it a go again.

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