I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Gelato?
No, No! That is not the ditty we sang as children. It doesn't even rhyme. This is the line for people who live in Italy. In the United States, "I scream, You scream, We all scream for ice cream" is our line. The song which this particular line comes from originated in the 1927. Legend says it was a song sung about the "Eskimo Pie". The "Eskimo Pie" started life as the "I Scream" bar. Of course, today there is no "I Scream" bar or "Eskimo Pie". Eskimo Pie has gone the way of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, as not politically correct. Today it's known as Edy's Pie. Not the same, If you ask me, but I never found any fault in Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben. I guess I'm not politically correct either.
Frozen treats have a long history dating back to the ancients in China and Persia who sent runners to the mountains to get snow so they could make the original snow cones. They flavored that snow with all sorts of things - honey, fruit syrups, fermented milk and beans. Ice cream as we know it is more recent. It developed with the discovery of the "Endothermic Effect" which is when you mix rock salt with ice. It drastically lowers the freezing point allowing chefs to freeze liquid ingredients without diluting them.
Early proponents of this effect made ice cream by placing the ingredients to be frozen into a metal cylinder, topped with a lid that had a handle, the cylinder went into a barrel, the barrel was filled with ice and rock salt, then someone constantly rotated the cylinder, occasionally stopping to open the container and scrap the frozen contents from the sides. After the contents reached a certain consistency, they were put into containers and cured in ice before serving. This whole process took several hours.
It was a labor intensive endeavor. With the cost of all the expensive ingredients, sugar, ice and salt, this was something enjoyed by the rich and powerful, not common folks. Early day ice cream was a luxury item beyond the means of the working class. Of course, they were the labor component of the equation. Knowing human nature, I'm sure some of them sneaked a taste. They had to be sure it was good enough for their rich and powerful masters.
There was no refrigeration back then so everything relied on the availability of ice on a year round basis. This was an extremely expensive and time consuming task, but not beyond the scope of the rich and powerful. Ice was harvested during the winter months from frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers. It was then placed in an "Ice House", where it was insulated from the heat. In a good winter, the ice harvest would last all year.
In the United States, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were early admirers of this treat. As was Dolley Madison (that's not a misspelling). They expended vast amounts of money to enjoy this luxury treat and to serve it to their guests.
Some of the flavors enjoyed in the early days of our country were the same as modern times. They enjoyed chocolate, strawberry and vanilla like we do today but also had savory flavors, like Parmesan cheese, foie gras & truffle; floral & botanical flavors like orange flower water, and lavender; rich spice and grain flavors like brown bread, cinnamon and Ambergris. Ambergris was a rare, highly prized substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales and gave the ice cream a musky, earthy undertone. I think I will stick with chocolate and vanilla, thank you.
Things changed when Nancy Johnson invented the world's first hand-cranked ice cream maker, receiving a U.S. patent for her "Artificial Freeze" on September 9, 1843. Her brilliant device, which used a wooden tub filled with ice and salt alongside a hand turned crank, metal cylinder and perforated paddles, transformed ice cream from an elite luxury into a widely accessible treat. She didn't make a vast fortune from her invention. She sold her patent to William G. Young for $200. Young made some improvements and started commercial production of the machine.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's, there were improvements to the machine. Most notable were the improvements made by the White Mountain Freezer Company. The company's initial success came from patenting it's "triple-motion dasher system" among other things. This mechanical system, rotating parts in opposite directions, simultaneously scraping the edge of the canister while beating the cream inward. This gave the ice cream an unmatchable, ultra-smooth texture. They were so successful that at one point they were the largest manufacturer of hand cranked ice cream freezers in the world.
In the 1960's, my family had one, but luckily it was the updated electric motor version. It made great ice cream. I think that was due in large part to the ice cream base. We used whole milk, heavy cream, real sugar, and real vanilla extract. We didn't use corn syrup, guar gum or any kind of chemical stabilizers, like most of the commercial brands. So we ended up with all natural ice cream with a butterfat content of 15 -16 percent.
The machine helped too. It would churn the base into ice cream in about 20 - 30 minutes, based on the ingredients, we sometimes added peaches or strawberries. The gear ratios only allowed a 20% to 30% overrun. So there was not a lot of air.
Overrun is the percentage of air incorporated into the liquid ice cream base during the freezing and churning process, causing the final product to expand. In other words, it measures how much air is in your ice cream. If you start with 1 gallon of liquid base and churn it into 1.5 gallons of ice cream, the volume has increased by 50% meaning it has a 50% overrun.
We have all tasted those grocery store brands with 100% to 120% overrun. This is a way to increase profits by selling you air. The legal limit set by the FDA is 100% to be able to call it "ice cream".
There are lots of ways manufacturers increase profit. There is the concept of "shrinkflation" whereby manufacturers sell a 48 ounce container instead of the original half gallon (64 ounce) container at the same price as the old 64 ounce container. You'll never see them advertise this modification. Money, money, money.
There are lots of ways manufacturers increase profit. There is the concept of "shrinkflation" whereby manufacturers sell a 48 ounce container instead of the original half gallon (64 ounce) container at the same price as the old 64 ounce container. You'll never see them advertise this modification. Money, money, money.
There is a legal minimum on the butterfat content at 10%. Otherwise, it must be labeled a "frozen dairy dessert", "low fat ice cream", "reduced fat ice cream", or "non fat ice cream". Check the label on your current brand. A lot of companies built their reputations on selling real ice cream, only to be bought out by large corporations intent on profit over quality. These folks slowly changed the formulas and procedures in the ice cream so that it no longer looks or tastes like it used to. They call this progress. I call it greed.
The old saying, "the front label sells, the back label tells" is very relevant in ice cream. Read the back label of your current ice cream brand. You might be surprised at all the ingredients besides milk, cream, and sugar.
You can also learn a lot by the weight. The next time you buy your favorite brand, pick up the 48 ounce container and compare it with the weight of a 48 ounce container of Tillamook ice cream. Any difference? Air doesn't weigh anything. If you compare it to a half gallon of Blue Belle, there is a more noticeable difference. Blue Belle's half gallon container is still a half gallon (64 ounces), not 48 ounces. There might be other undesirable things in Blue Belle but not any "shrinkflation".
To be legally called "Ice Cream" in the United States the product must weigh 4.5 pounds per gallon. This fact keeps the overrun (added air) to 100%. Also, the milkfat content must be a minimum of 10% and it must contain at least 20% milk solids. The entire dairy mix must be pasteurized using specific time and temperature thresholds (155° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes) before freezing. It also must contain less than 1.4% egg yolk solids. Anything containing more must be labeled "Frozen Custard" or "French Ice Cream".
So what is "Soft Serve Ice Cream"? I don't know if you have noticed but your cone from McDonalds or your dipped in chocolate cone from Dairy Queen is not real ice cream. They don't call it that either. McDonalds calls it a "vanilla cone" and Dairy Queen calls it "soft serve". The reason is not because of the amount of air they whip into it. That is usually between 30% to 60%, so no where near the maximum of 100%. The reason is because the milkfat is usually less than 5%, half of the minimum of 10%.
Soft serve is not made in a batch freezer like hard scoop ice cream. It is made in a continuous feed freezer. This freezer holds the mix in a refrigerated hopper and feeds it into the freeze cylinder as needed. It is so quick that the soft serve isn't actually made until it's sold. It is much quicker than serving hard pack batch ice cream. It is served at a much warmer temperature than batch ice cream, 18° to 24° rather than 0° to 5°.
The dominant flavor of soft serve is vanilla. Of course there are hundreds of add-ins to modify that but usually it starts as vanilla. You won't be seeing any places serving 31 flavors like Baskin-Robbins. Occasionally, you will see a machine with another cylinder for chocolate and a middle draw handle to serve a twist of both flavors.
That is the problem with soft serve. You need a cylinder for each flavor. 31 flavors would require 31 cylinders, an expensive situation. A dual cylinder heavy duty machine costs about $20,000. Serving multiple flavors would mean several machines would be needed. A place serving hard scooped ice cream can serve several flavors from one machine. They have a serving cabinet that holds all the finished flavors, ready for dipping and a walk-in freezer to hold backups. In a typical working day, a hard scoop shop can make 6 to 15 different flavors depending on machine size and cleanup time.
I am not a big fan of soft serve. Although, I have had my share of "Peanut Buster Parfaits". If I have my choice, I always go for hard scooped ice cream. I like the flavor and the texture. It's what I grew up with.
So what exactly is gelato? The core differences between gelato and ice cream are that gelato uses more milk and less cream, incorporates less air during churning, and is served at a warmer temperature than ice cream. These differences alter the texture, fat content, and overall flavor profile of gelato.
Gelato is made in the same kind of batch freezer as ice cream. The mix is different (more milk less cream - butterfat 4% - 9%), the speed is slower (low overrun 20% - 30%) and the temperature is warmer (10°F - 15°F). So you end up with a similar yet different product.
In my wine selling days, I spent a lot of time in Italy. The Italians take most things dealing with eating and drinking very seriously. They have a media authority called the "Gambero Rosso" which translates to "Red Shrimp". Founded in 1986 by Stefano Bonilli, it is the ultimate referee of Italian culinary excellence. Named after a fictional tavern in the story of Pinocchio, it issues Italy's most prestigious gastronomic ratings.
Its highest rating for a wine is "Tre Bicchieri", three glasses. At Winebow, if one of our wines got the "Tre Bicchieri" award, it was an easy sell because everyone wanted it. They have a similar award for gelato shops called the "Tre Coni", three cones. Only 70 to 80 out of the 19,000 gelato shops in Italy get this designation each year.
On my trips to Italy, I spent a lot of time researching gelato and chasing the "Tre Coni". It was easy to do this research, there was a "Gelateria" on every corner. Restaurants also served gelato. After dinner I often had an "Affogato" which translates to "drowned". It was gelato that was drowned with hot espresso. Absolutely delicious.
The top flavors in Italy are Pistacchio, Stracciatella (Chocolate Chip), Nocciola (Hazelnut), Cioccolato Fondente (Dark Chocolate), Fior di Latte (Pure Sweetened Cream), Bacio (Chocolate & Hazelnut), Zabaione (Sweet Marsala Custard), and Amarena (Cream with Dark Amarena Cherries). I have had them all. The flavor that stands out in my memory isn't even gelato. It's Limone, which is a sorbetto, no dairy. It's the Limone I had on the Amalfi coast made with Sorrento lemons. It was served in a carved out lemon shell. It is made with the zest and the juice from those lemons that are more sweet than bitter. It was perfection. I have also had "Limoncello" made from those lemons but that is another story.
Gelato has a much more intense, vibrant flavor and a denser, silkier texture than traditional ice cream. There is no shortage of different gelato flavors just like there is no shortage of ice cream flavors. Some of these flavors baffle the mind. What were these people thinking? Perhaps they were under the influence of something?
Can you get bad gelato in Italy? Absolutely! In touring gelaterias, I came to notice certain characteristics of the good shops. There were no neon or bright colors. Natural colors are muted and dull. Real pistachio is a brownish-green (the color of ground nuts), not neon green. Real banana is grayish-white, not bright yellow. I started to look for shops that stored their gelato flat in low metal containers or covered wells (pozzetti) rather than piled high in fluffy, colorful mountains. They use a flat metal spade (spatola) rather than a curved ice cream scoop to maintain the velvety, creamy texture of gelato. I also looked for signs that said gelato artigianale (artisanal) or produzione propria (produced in-house). Most of the good ones I found were "Tre Coni".
My favorite shop in my Italian travels was "Grom" in Florence, close to the Duomo. I found it by accident one night on my way back to my hotel after dinner. It was right there so I had to try it. I went back several times after that. They had a limited selection, only about 15 flavors and they were served in pozzetti with metal lids.
My favorite flavor was their "Crema di Grom", which was a smooth pastry cream made with egg yolks, with added crumbles of "miliga biscuits (corn shortbread), and 70% dark chocolate chips. At one time there were some Grom shops in the United States but Grom was bought by Unilever. That is never a good thing, a big corporation buying a small independent quality focused company. There are no longer shops in the United States and things are not quite the same. Ah, progress.
In the U.S. finding gelato shops of any sort is a difficult task. There are 12,000 dedicated ice cream shops here compared to 1500 gelato shops. Of the 12,000, there are a lot of small premium ice cream stores using local ingredients to make premium and ultra premium ice cream. Sally and I search these out in our travels. According to Sally, there is always room for ice cream. It fills in the cracks.
There are a few shops that stand out in my memory. They range all over the country and one in Paris. The first is "Wild Scoops" in Anchorage, Alaska. The first thing you notice after the line out the door is that there are only 10 flavors. This is a good thing. They feature locally sourced Alaskan ingredients. Because this is Alaska, their base mix comes from the Lower 48 (there is only one commercial dairy operation in Alaska). They are extremely particular about this base. It is crafted as a premium / super-premium style blend featuring a 16% butterfat content, resulting in an exceptionally rich, dense, and smooth texture.
All the flavors are quite tasty. Yes, they give samples. They make a waffle cone scented with cinnamon and anise. They have one option that is quite unique. You can get your flavor selection in a cone and then get a "Baked Alaska" torched topping. They call the topping marshmallow fluff but it is actually "Italian Meringue". The egg whites have hot melted sugar added as they are whipped. This cooks the meringue so that it is safe to eat without actually baking it. They torch it to give it the Baked Alaska look. Delicious.
All the way across the country is "Mount Desert Island Ice Cream" in Bar Harbor, Maine. This is a highly acclaimed, woman owned (Linda Parker) small business known for its artisanal (15-20 flavors at a time), high butterfat (15%-16%), small batch (3-5 gallons), and ultra-dense (25%-30% overrun) ice creams. Their motto is "Fearless Flavor" and they have some very interesting ones. One being "The Dude" which is of course, white russian flavored because we know "The Dude Abides". Mount Desert Island Ice Cream is a favorite of the Obamas, so it comes with a great recommendation.
The shop has a blue bench out front which I have used on occasion. Once, I was attacked by a hummingbird who thought my gray hair was a flower. I remained still and after a while the hummingbird came to the realization that my hair held no nectar and flew off. I didn't share my "Callebaut Chocolate" in a house made waffle cone which has a nectar all its own.
The shop adheres to a strict "no-sample" policy implemented to control environmental waste (spoons), control costs (profits), and keep the customer lines moving (it's a popular place). They do have a flight option of four different scoops in a tray with spoons (?) that is quite popular, if you want to try several of the imaginative flavors.
All the way down the coast is "Leopold's Ice Cream" in Savannah Georgia. "Leopold's Ice Cream" is a historic and iconic ice cream parlor located in the heart of the downtown. Founded in 1919 by three Greek immigrant brothers (George, Peter, and Basil Leopold), it has been serving its secret family recipes for over a century and is currently owned by Hollywood film producer Stratton Leopold, son of Peter. When you step into the parlor, you experience a retro 1930s soda fountain vibe, complete with original black marble counters and added movie memorabilia.
The original Habersham Street location closed after the death of the 2 older brothers. It remained closed for 35 years while young Stratton became a successful movie producer. In 2004 he resurrected the ice cream parlor with the old family recipes at a new location nextdoor to the Trustees Theater owned and operated by the Savannah College of Art & Design.
The ice cream is made with a custard blend using egg yolks, 12% to 13% butterfat, and 25% to 35% overrun. This gives it a dense, heavy, almost chewy texture and yet it has a clean and creamy flavor. Good ice cream. They also serve light lunch and dinner fare (soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastry), but most people come for the ice cream.
Chocolate Chip is Sally's favorite and mine is the Chocolate (Dark). Jimmy Carter's favorite was the Butter Pecan. Their most famous flavor is Tutti Frutti. It was a favorite of Johnny Mercer, of Moon River and One For My Baby songwriting fame. He was a local and actually swept the floors of the original shop as a child of 10.
Back across the country is the Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, California. The Creamery was founded in 2006 in the Mission District by pastry chefs Kris Hoogerhyde and Anne Walker as an extension of the historic Bi-Rite Market (it's a few doors down). The Creamery quickly became a beloved neighborhood fixture known for it's handmade, small batch ice cream. It's also known for a smell, the scent of waffle cones being freshly made in the shop daily.
Bi Rite Creamery uses an ice cream base they buy from Straus Family Creamery, which is a commercial organic creamery. The mix they use is made up of only 4 ingredients - Organic Milk, Organic Cream, Raw Unrefined Organic Cane Sugar, and Organic Egg Yolks. It is one of the purest ice creams I've had from a shop. The butterfat is 16% and the overrun is 20% to 25%. Reminds me of the ice cream my folks used to make.
They add pure flavoring ingredients that are local and seasonal. They get quite inventive. They serve 24 different flavors daily. My favorites are the "Caramel Chocolate Crunch", and "Tiramisu". The chocolate they use is Guittard which is from San Francisco.
They also have a soft serve machine but that mix is different. It has a 8% butterfat and a 35% to 45% overrun. It does use an organic plant based stabilizer to keep the right texture going through the commercial soft serve machine. So, there are 2 flavors of soft serve available daily in addition to the 24 hard scooped flavors.
While in San Francisco I came across another ice cream phenomenon called the "It's It". The "It's It" ice cream sandwich was invented in 1928 by George Whitney. For nearly a century, this unique combination of a scoop of dense rich ice cream nestled between two large oatmeal cookies and dipped in dark chocolate has been a Bay Area staple. They make their own ice cream and keep it at a 14% butterfat with 40% overrun. They started with only vanilla but since 1980 they also have chocolate, strawberry, mint, and cappuccino. I have to partake of them when I'm in San Francisco because it costs way to much money to ship them to the East Coast. They are delicious and very satisfying.
During my travels in Europe, I discovered exceptional ice cream at Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis. Founded in 1954 by Raymond Berthillon, what began as a modest café-hotel became a world-renowned luxury ice cream institution. Raymond died in 2014 at age 90, but Berthillon remains proudly family-owned and operated across three generations and is now a Parisian culinary icon.
The flagship shop is basically a walkup / takeaway window. There is always a line. It's the only place that serves all 30 to 40 daily flavors. They are listed on a blue automated sign on the left as you reach the counter. The list gets smaller as the day progresses. I usually get 2 scoops in a cone - the Vanilla ice cream and whatever looks interesting that day. The most famous flavor is the fraise des bois (wild strawberry) which is a sorbet.
In my restaurants we always used ice cream, even after my trips to Italy. Why? I am not a pastry chef, so most of the desserts that I had on my menus came from the different restaurants where I had worked in my early years in the business - "I stole with my eyes". A lot of the desserts had ice cream as a focal point or as an "ala mode" accessory point. Ice cream is what the customers expected, not gelato.
The brand I remember from the early days was Sealtest. it was everywhere on the East Coast and in all the restaurant where I worked. It was "The" restaurant brand. When I opened my first restaurant, The Iron Gate House, Sealtest is what we served.
In the first year, one of our customers was a man named Mitch Berliner. He came from Northern Virginia and owned a business called Berliner Foods, which was a gourmet / fine foods distributor. Mitch sold a new brand of high quality ice cream called Häagen-Dazs. Mitch came back in the kitchen one night after his dinner and insisted I should be serving a high quality ice cream to go with our high quality menu. He thought we should be selling Häagen-Dazs.
Mitch explained that Häagen-Dazs was an American ice cream brand founded in 1960 in The Bronx, New York, by Polish immigrants Reuben and Rose Mattus. Despite its sophisticated, European sounding name, the brand had no historical ties to Europe and was entirely created and manufactured in the United States. The name, Häagen-Dazs, is completely made up by Reuben. They are not words in any language but they sound European (Danish?) Reuben figured more people would buy Häagen-Dazs than "Reuben's Finest".
At the time the majority of commercial ice cream producers were competing on low prices, using air and stabilizers to lower their costs. Reuben decided to do the exact opposite. He made a heavy, high end "Super-Premium" ice cream. He banked on a formula with a high butterfat content (16%) and very little air (20% overrun), using only natural ingredients - fresh cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks. Sounds like a familiar theme.
Mitch was also from New York and in 1974, struck a handshake deal with Reuben to be the brand's very first distributor outside of New York. New Yorkers like to stick together. They never had a written contract.
I told Mitch to send me a tub of the Vanilla. He did and it was really good so, we started doing business. We had a dessert on the menu that was a scoop of coffee ice cream topped with Tia Maria, toasted coconut, and a dollop of whipped cream. I called Mitch and asked if Häagen-Dazs made a coffee ice cream. His reply was, "They make a coffee ice cream that will keep you up at night". We started buying that too.
When I went into the wine business, ice cream became a personal interest rather than a professional one. This was also when I was exposed to the wonderful world of gelato. Everyone should travel. I wish I had done more in my youth, when I could really enjoy it.
After 10 years in the wine business, I decided I liked cooking more than selling wine. Selling wine had its pluses financially and with holiday time off. I determined that I was the most reasonable boss I had ever worked for, so that was a big factor in my decision.
I had an opportunity to purchase a location rather than having to lease, so I got to be my own landlord too. Sally and I opened the Crazy Conch Cafe on Tierra Verde in 2001. We used Sysco as one of our suppliers and they had Häagen-Dazs, so it was available.
In my search for suppliers I came across a local company called Working Cow. They made a super-premium ice cream using local dairy, cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no egg yolks but a plant based stabilizer instead. They made true American ice cream not frozen custard with 15% butterfat and 40% overrun.
I tasted it and it was really good. I liked supporting small independent suppliers making quality products so I used Working Cow. They were local so that was another plus. We used their Vanilla and their Coffee. They had a portfolio of 140 flavors but we were not a scoop shop.
During my restaurant career I tried making ice cream on my own a couple of times. I had learned how to make Crème Anglaise, which is a dessert sauce. I used it with fresh berries and under several chocolate desserts, e.g. flourless chocolate cake and chocolate terrine. It consists of egg yolks, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste. Sounds familiar, doesn't it. You put that sauce in an ice cream freezer and you have vanilla ice cream or frozen custard if you're going to get picky. I used one of those Cuisinart ice cream makers with the canister that you put in the freezer. It makes good ice cream. I made good ice cream.
After about 10 years, it was time for me to get out of the restaurant business. I always worked the line in my restaurants. I wasn't one of those executive chefs that work in an office and oversee the line from a chair. I was down in the trenches. I loved it. Cooking in a restaurant situation is like living at the beach, once you get that sand between your toes it's hard to shake. You don't do it to make money. There are easier ways to make a dollar. You do it because you love it. It's not work. There is one problem though. It's hard on the legs especially the knees. Cooking on the line is a young man's game. My legs gave out.
I retired and ice cream once again became a personal interest not a professional one. Our travels helped in the pursuit of this interest. It's nice to see that there are lots of folks out there that believe that quality matters. They have the passion to pursue it.
At home, I get ice cream from the grocery store. Occasionally from a local shop but mostly from the grocery store. I like Blue Belle. the Moo-llennium Crunch in particular but the Vanilla too. They don't make a Chocolate Chip which is Sally's favorite so I buy the "Publix Rich & Creamy Premium Chocolate Chip Ice Cream". There aren't very many companies that make chocolate chip ice cream any more. It's hard to find. Publix is one.
Publix ice creams are not the purest ice creams out there. They have high fructose corn syrup and some chemical stabilizers. On the plus side they still serve a true 64 ounce half gallon, the butterfat is 12% and the overrun is 40%. Another plus is they sometimes go on sale 2 half gallons for $10.
Blue Belle has had some problems in the past with Listeria and some mislabeling but I have never had any problems with it so I use it. It sometimes goes on sale for $6.99 for a half gallon. It has 13% butterfat and 60% overrun. We use the Natural Vanilla Bean and the Moo-llennium Crunch which is vanilla with pecans, walnuts, almonds, caramel and dark chocolate chunks added. It's pretty killer ice cream.
The problem with both these brands is they only sell their ice cream in pints, not half gallons. In the case of Häagen-Dazs, it is a shrinkflation pint of 14 ounces. Ben and Jerry's still does a 16 ounce pint. They do pints for a variety of reasons dealing with the quality of their ice cream in a grocery store environment - icing and freezer burn in particular.
There is also one big "Math" problem. When you go to a scoop shop and spend $5 to $6 for a single scoop in a cone, you don't really worry about the cost factor. When you are buying ice cream for home consumption and you realize that the 4 pints, that you'll need to equal a half gallon (Shrinkflation or not), costing $6 a pint will equal $24 a half gallon, you are hit with some "sticker shock". These two brands occasionally go on sale, but even at "Bogo" pricing it equals $12 a half gallon. That's a lot of money for ice cream, even if it's really good.
I'm retired now and on a fixed income, so I stick with Blue Belle and Publix Rich and Creamy Premium, especially when they're on sale. In the research for this post, I have read some real positive reviews of Tillamook ice cream. I've eaten their cheese for years but never tried their ice cream. I'll be checking it out. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Who knows, I might buy one of those "Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers" with the freezer canister, and dust off my old recipe for Crème Anglaise. Because "I scream, You scream, We all scream for ice cream".
Crème Anglaise or Vanilla Ice Cream
1 - Qt. Whole Milk 1 - Pinch Kosher Salt
1 - Pint Heavy Cream 2 - Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
In a bowl whip egg yolks and sugar until ribbons form. In a stainless steel-lined sauce pot heat milk and cream until it is almost to a boil. Temper yolk mixture by adding two ladles of hot milk/cream mixture, stirring all the while, being careful not to curdle the egg yolks. Pour warmed egg yolk mixture into the pot of hot milk/cream. Add vanilla extract. Lower heat and continue stirring until slightly thickened. You can do this over direct heat but you have to be careful not to cook too long or too fast or you will curdle the egg yolks.
Remove from heat and whip custard over an ice bath until cool. Place in a stainless steel container and top with a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Place container in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly.
Makes a great sauce or if you want ice cream, once thoroughly chilled, place in ice cream freezer and freeze following manufacturer’s directions.
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