DON’T Buy an Ice Cream Maker ~ Be One! Make Delicious Ice Cream Without a Machine

I know a way of making the best ice cream that is quick, easy and doesn’t need an ice cream maker or any mashing or stirring as it freezes. It is also hugely versatile - I have made everything from vanilla to … well … anything my heart (or my customers’ hearts) desired.  

My real man, being a bit of a health freak, always has double cream for his breakfast, with his porridge or cereal, so I buy 600ml every week. Well imagine my horror when putting away the new shopping I found that he hadn’t finished the last lot.  Slacker! 

So it being so gloriously summery I made Maple Syrup Ice Cream which is a piece of **** aka very easy. 

Maple Syrup Ice Cream

Maple flavoured syrup, such as Lyle’s Maple Flavour Golden Syrup for instance, is even sweeter than pure – you will need a little less and your ice cream will not be quite so refined, my dear, but still very good indeed.

500ml double cream
200g condensed milk
120ml pure maple syrup OR 90ml artificial

~   Whip the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk
~   Fold in the maple syrup.
~   Freeze.

I am very partial to salted roasted nuts especially pecans so when I have a bag of mixed nuts I always eat these first and appreciatively.  For my own serving of this ice cream I added a few coarsely chopped pieces of pecan – divine combo!

I then felt suddenly inspired so popped out and got some more cream and created two more ice creams, it does keep well, so why not?

Sautéed Peach and Brown Sugar Ice Cream 

Serves 2-3 people, can easily be doubled.

I absolutely love the little sweet white flat peaches, called Doughnut Peaches, available at this time of year. I have one every day for breakfast with Greek yogurt, nutty granola and a drizzle of honey - lucky me.  I did a small experimental batch of this ice cream, making it up as I went along. Here are the details ...

5 or 6 not too ripe doughnut peaches – coarsely chopped (no need to peel first)

30g butter

50g light brown sugar

a drip or two of vanilla extract

250ml double cream

100g condensed milk

~   Sauté the chopped peach in the butter till very tender and maybe starting to take a little colour.

~   Stir in the sugar and vanilla and stir all together till the sugar has melted.

~   Set aside to cool completely.
~   When cold whisk the cream till stiff.
~   Fold in the condensed milk and the cooked peaches plus all their juices.

~   Freeze.

I then made ...

Preserved Lemon Ice Cream

I have a jar of Preserved Lemons in the fridge, thanks to Olives et Al – see here for all about them, I’m very impressed!  I recently had a lovely lunch of potato and sea bass salad with preserved lemon mayonnaise and that set me wondering how the lemons would be in ice cream, now was my chance!

I finely, finely chopped about a quarter of a tablespoon of the preserved lemon, folded it into the basic mixture and added a little vodka (I’m sure you understand!) as, in the absence of a sugary addition such as maple syrup a little alcohol helps a lot with the texture of ice cream (read more in my aforementioned book!).  For 250ml cream and 100g condensed milk I reckon 1 tablespoon of finely chopped preserved lemon and 20ml of vodka.

The resulting ice cream is utterly brilliant; sweet and lemony as heck with a very slight salty bite from the pieces of preserved lemon. This new recipe is a keeper for me.  

Savoury, Interesting & Peculiar Ice Creams

Perhaps because of July being National Ice Cream Month there has been a fair bit of talk on the net recently about unusual ice cream flavours so to simultaneously jump on the bandwagon and whet your appetite here’s a list of the unusual recipes in the appropriate chapter of Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine

Cracked Black Pepper Ice Cream

Strawberry Balsamic Ripple

Werther’s Original Crunch - and beyond?

Blue Cheese Ice Cream

Blue Cheese & Port Ripple

Blue Cheese and Baked Pear Ice Cream

Salty Liquorice Ice Cream

Popping Candy

Goats Cheese & Hazelnut Ice Cream

Roasted Beetroot and Chocolate Ice Cream

Smoky Bacon and (the aforementioned) Maple Syrup Ice Cream

Start making delicious ice cream now!