How to make homemade ice cream with an ice cream maker: cool tips
Need to cool off? Your ice cream maker is guaranteed to be the star of your kitchen this summer. With this clever gadget, you can whip up sorbets, gelatos, and trendy ice cream recipes in no time, completely stress-free. How do you get started? Here are some cool tips!
Quick Ice Cream Recipes for Your Ice Cream Maker: What Matters Most
Ice cream makers for home use work on different principles, but they all share the same goal: delicious, homemade ice cream.
- Self-cooling ice cream makers work similarly to professional machines. They actively cool down the ice cream mixture and prevent ice crystals from forming by stirring. The result? Creamy ice cream just like from a pastry chef.
- With ice cream makers with an external cooling element, you take a detour through the freezer: pour the ice cream mixture into the container, let it freeze, then churn it in the ice cream maker and serve.
Great results are possible with both types of appliances. If you want to make homemade ice cream with an ice cream maker, it all comes down to the recipe and the ingredients. The secret to creamy ice cream lies in sugar, fat, and flavorful ingredients like fruits or nuts. To ensure as few ice crystals form as possible, keep the following tips in mind:
- The higher the fat, the better: The higher the fat content of the milk or cream, the less water it contains. This in turn means that fewer ice crystals can form.
- Not all sugar is created equal: Classic granulated sugar lowers the freezing point of your ice cream, but other varieties can do even more: mix granulated sugar with dextrose for your ice cream recipe. Dextrose lowers the freezing point by around 130 percent!
- Add chunky ingredients at the very end: Nut or fruit pieces should only be added to the ice cream mixture in the last five minutes. Ice crystals can easily form on them.
- Create a strong bond: With a little starch or locust bean gum, you can create a strong bond in the ice cream mixture, leaving ice crystals with no chance to form.
- Cook first, then cool: If you boil the ingredients together before putting them into the ice cream maker, they will form strong bonds, water will evaporate, and the ice cream will turn out creamier.
Extra tip: Vanilla or chocolate? Anyone can do that! In the Lidl Recipe World, you will find plenty of unique ideas for ice cream creations with a gourmet touch.
Quick Recipe: Strawberry Ice Cream with an Ice Cream Maker
You will need (for 4 servings)
- 5.3 oz fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup sugar (ideally 1/4 cup superfine sugar + 1.5 tbsp dextrose)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- A splash of lemon juice
Wash and hull the strawberries, then puree them with the sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Whip the heavy cream until almost stiff and gently fold it into the mixture. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn until you reach your desired consistency.
You can easily customize this quick ice cream recipe to your heart's content. Try using other berries, swap some of the milk for Greek yogurt, or add extra flavor notes like vanilla or a touch of balsamic glaze.
No ice cream maker on hand? Swap the fresh strawberries for frozen ones and blend everything in a high-powered blender. Serve the ice cream immediately.
The Ultimate Summer Dessert: Grilled Ice Cream!
Ice cream is just as essential to summer as delicious food from the grill. Why not combine the two? Grilled ice cream sounds impossible, but it is actually super easy:
- Whip egg whites with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Make sure your bowl is clean and grease-free. Using a hand mixer is the fastest way.
- Place scoops of ice cream from the ice cream maker onto tartlets. You can easily buy these ready-made. For perfect scoops, it is best to use an ice cream scoop.
- Coat the ice cream on the tartlets completely with the whipped egg white. There should be no gaps. Work carefully so the egg white does not deflate.
- Place the tartlets on your grill grate, close the lid, and let them bake briefly until the egg white gets a light brown crust. Serve immediately and enjoy!
