Boy howdy. I am in love with this ice cream maker. The snazzy little gizmo (let’s just call her Creama) has been whipping up a storm this weekend and is already proving to be quite a pro. It’s easy to set up, easy to use and easy peasy to clean. No, this is not a commercial, though I’d happily stamp Miss Creama with the Splash of Something Seal of Approval (if such a thing existed). She’s a good egg that way.
The funniest thing to me about making homemade ice cream is how incredibly easy the whole process is. Even if there’s a little prep work in the beginning (in this case mashing up strawberries and whipping up cream), it just takes a quick 25-minute spin in the ice cream maker to finish the job. And it’s also great to know how few ingredients it actually takes to make ice cream. The first recipe I tried (strawberry! Woot!) only has five ingredients. Five! Think of how many ingredients are listed on the nutrition label of most store-bought ice creams. It’s craziness. Homemade is definitely the way to go. And yes, it tastes better, too. This recipe is the perfect blend of tart and sweet — just enough of both and not too much of either. Woo to the hoo for that.
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Strawberry Ice Cream
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook (Amanda Hesser, p. 722)
• 1 quart ripe strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• a few grains of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
Force strawberries through a colander into a bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt, and refrigerate until chilled.
Whip the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks, then fold into the strawberry mixture. Chill the mixture overnight.
The next day, pour the mixture into the ice cream maker, and freeze according to your machine’s instructions. Pack the ice cream in a container, and freeze until ready to serve. Then eat, and be merry.
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What did you cook up in your kitchen this weekend? Any fun new recipes? A cool new gadget? Do tell!
XO,
Katrina
Oooh strawberry ice cream is my favorite. I just might have to put an ice cream maker on my wish list! To answer your question, I did get a fun new gadget- a kitchenaid immersion blender! I love it. But perhaps the best part is that it comes with a mini food processor attachment, which has changed my life. Making pesto (and ginger-garlic paste for my Indian food) is a breeze now. I get way too excited about kitchen appliances 🙂
Ooo! Immersion blenders are soooo handy! I have a cheapo one that I use for soups and things, but the poor little motor doesn’t last long. And the tiny food processor sounds great! Perfect for pestos or hummus!
Gah now we really need to buy an ice cream maker. Ya’ll are making too many yummy things and tempting me 🙂 We were out of town this weekend but we did make some delicious salmon burgers for dinner last night!
Do it! The ice cream maker is so much fun! Not to mention it’s a super easy way to have a new dessert every night. Woo hoo!