For what they cost, I figure I can buy a LOT of ice cream from the store. Plus, one less thing to tire of and store and eventually try to unload in a yard sale or donate.

I borrowed one of the manual types ( insert in freezer ) used a few times and returned it. I found I was making ice cream just to use the darn thing and taking up a lot of freezer space. There are too many other desserts I like.

Cross it off as just another kitchen fad.

wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Sep 2013 08:34:21 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
> > wrote:
>
> > For what they cost, I figure I can buy a LOT of ice cream from the
> > store. Plus, one less thing to tire of and store and eventually
> > try to unload in a yard sale or donate.
> >
> > I borrowed one of the manual types ( insert in freezer ) used a few
> > times and returned it. I found I was making ice cream just to use
> > the darn thing and taking up a lot of freezer space. There are too
> > many other desserts I like.
> >
> > Cross it off as just another kitchen fad.
>
> I don't make it that often but feel it is well worth having, given you
> read the list of chemicals in commercial icecream. As to storing the
> container in the freezer, while it's there I put other stuff in it, so
> it really takes very little space.
>
> At least I can feel grandchildren and great grandchildren are eating a
> few less chemicals. I wouldn't say it was a fad, started with an ice
> and salt one when the kids were young, occupational for them to crack
> the ice and turn the crank for the reward. The current one I bought
> at an outlet in Sevierville, Tennessee, $18 and probably see me out

Amen! It's always worth making your own! I long time ago I invested in a
Gaggia. It doesn't see the light these days unless kids and grands are home
though. I have a wonderful file of ice cream recipes Boron gave me years
ago and I always use those.

Kalmia wrote:

> For what they cost, I figure I can buy a LOT of ice cream from the store.
> Plus, one less thing to tire of and store and eventually try to unload in
> a yard sale or donate.
>
> I borrowed one of the manual types ( insert in freezer ) used a few times
> and returned it. I found I was making ice cream just to use the darn
> thing and taking up a lot of freezer space. There are too many other
> desserts I like.
>
> Cross it off as just another kitchen fad.

I bought my current ice-cream maker around 1984. It's still going strong. I
use it fairly often in the summer, and occasionally in the winter. Besides
the French vanilla ice cream I use as an accompaniment to other desserts,
here are some of the unusual ice cream flavors I've made in the last several
years:

buttered popcorn
sweet corn
banana
Mexican chocolate
Grand Marnier
cheddar
avocado with dark chocolate
eggplant-cinnamon
ginger
Thai iced tea
strawberry ice cream with candied habaneros
strawberry ice cream with candied olives
Portuguese egg custard ice cream


I've also used the ice cream maker to make sorbets and sherbets:

watermelon sherbet
lime sorbet
strawberrry sorbet

It will be a sad day when the ice cream freezer finally dies.

Bob

Lucretia wrote:

> Would you share the Portuguese Egg Custard recipe ? Pretty please ?

The name is a bit misleading: In this recipe, a Portuguese egg custard is a
Hong Kong confection. Essentially, it's a custard with an unusually high
proportion of egg yolks. Here's the recipe for the ice cream:

2 2/3 cups half & half
6 ounces sugar (by weight)
12 egg yolks

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or a dash of cinnamon

Heat the half & half to a bare simmer in a saucepan.

Whisk egg yolks until pale and thick, then add sugar slowly, whisking
continuously. (I do this in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.)
Continue to whisk until the egg yolks have slightly increased in volume.

Slowly whisk the hot half & half into the eggs, then return to the saucepan
over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until mixture reaches 185°F, and keep
mixture at that temperature for 30 seconds. (The eggs will start to
coagulate, but that's okay.) Pour into a blender, add optional ingredient,
and blend until smooth. Strain into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least four hours. Freeze in an ice-cream freezer.


Bob