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Top Secret Method for Flavor-full Ice Cream

Top Secret Method for Flavor-full Ice Cream

‘Tis the season for ice cream. But this is the year for ice cream makers.

Never Been Cheaper

The Savvy Bostonian turned me on to this beauty, and I have since seen it gracing the shelves of both Crate and Barrel and the incredibly discerning Williams and Sonoma.

That’s right. Not even Williams and Sonoma can do better than this guy. (though they do have an *exclusive* video)

But the price is the best part: fifty dollars. That’s it! I bet most families with kids can easily spend that much on ice cream in a week. I mean, when you throw in tax, ice cream treats for four at your location of choice can easily ring up a $20 bill in one go.

Or Easier

Recently my mother “borrowed” my ice cream maker. I am still waiting for it to come back. Or rather, hoping that it eventually does. But she is enamored with how simple it is to create her own icy desserts.

For fruity flavors, you basically just puree the fruit, add some simple syrup, and voila! 30 minutes later, ice cream appears.

I receive period updates about what she has been making, but the other day I got to actually sample some finished product. And I was surprised that it was not as flavorful as I remembered my own being. (I know that sounds conceited, but keep listening)

I realized that I usually make sorbet. Not gelato. Not ice cream. Sorbet.

But Doesn’t Cream Make Things Tasty?

I thought that too! But as I was also reminded during the recent iced coffee discussion, cream overwhelms other flavors.

Am I saying the secret to flavorful ice cream is not to make ice cream? Yes, but only partially. The real secret is that cream free ice cream (i.e. sorbet) is not only more flavorful, but can actually taste more creamy.

What?! I know, your head is probably spinning. But it’s all about texture.

Try out this mexican chocolate sorbet recipe and you’ll see what I am getting at. And let me know if you have any questions.

Mexican Chocolate Sorbet

Prep time: 1.5 hours (20 minutes active)
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
  • red chilli powder
  • ground cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • vanilla extract
  • sugar

Method

  1. Break the chocolate into chunks and add it to a sauce pan with 2 pints of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and a dash of vanilla extract to chocolate mixture.
  3. Set the saucepan to simmer for 20 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
  4. When chocolate mixture is ready (no longer grainy), chill completely in the fridge. Once it is chilled, pour the mixture into the gelato maker and set the machine to run for thirty minutes.

Enjoy!


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  1. Jos

    21 July

    Happy ICLW!
    Been looking for a good ice cream recipe and proper instructions. glad i found your blog. everything looks so yummy!

    do drop by and visit us at sister village.

    thanks!