Slushed! Part 5

Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding in the shredded coconut in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Shredded Coconut Shredded coconut comes both sweetened and unsweetened. This recipe uses unsweetened to keep it from being overpoweringly sweet. If you can only find sweetened coconut, use it, but cut the sugar down to cup.

Cherry Bomb Ice Cream

Who doesn't love a nice cherry pie? This ice cream captures that old-school diner flavor. Find bottled cherry juice at a natural food store-or with the fresh juices in the produce section of your grocery store. To make your own, stem and pit about one pound of fresh cherries, then blend and strain. Serve garnished with shortbread cookies or ladyfingers to round out the pie experience.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

6 egg yolks cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 whole vanilla bean 1 cup unsweetened cherry juice 3 tablespoons kirsch or maraschino liqueur 1 tablespoon triple sec 1 cup fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted, and finely chopped Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Put the cream in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Slit the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Sc.r.a.pe out the paste with the back of your knife. Add the vanilla pod and paste to the pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let the mixture infuse for 1520 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Warm the mixture again on the stove until steaming.

Slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Whisk in the cherry juice, kirsch, and triple sec. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture's temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

When your mixture is cold, pour it into your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the chopped cherries in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Chambord Truffle Ice Cream

Mmmm, chocolate and raspberry: a match made in heaven. This red raspberry ice cream gets its flavor from fresh berries, raspberry jam, and Chambord-and a ridiculously generous amount of dark chocolate chunks.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTS.

6 egg yolks cup sugar 3 cups fresh raspberries cup Chambord cup raspberry jam 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1 cups dark chocolate chunks Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Put the raspberries, Chambord, and raspberry jam in the blender. Blend until uniform. Strain into a bowl. Set aside.

Put the cream and milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly drizzle the hot mixture into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Whisk in the strained raspberry Chambord puree. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture's temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

When your mixture is cold, pour it into your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the chocolate chunks in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Roasted Peach Daiquiri Ice Cream

Slow roasting the ripe, juicy peaches with b.u.t.ter and brown sugar gives this ice cream a deep, caramelized flavor.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTS.

4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced cup dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 6 egg yolks cup dark brown sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup peach nectar cup light rum Preheat your oven to 400F. Put the sliced peaches in a 9 13 gla.s.s baking dish. Toss with dark brown sugar and dot with bits of b.u.t.ter. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

They're done when the peaches are soft enough to mash flat with a fork and the b.u.t.ter and sugar have combined into a delicious caramel sauce. Remove from the oven. Transfer the peaches and sauce into a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Set aside while you make the ice cream.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the cream and peach nectar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the edges just start to bubble. Remove the pot from the heat.

Slowly, drizzle the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the rum and caramelized peach mixture. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture's temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Cider Ice Cream with Applejack

Here in New England, we can't wait for apple-picking season every fall. Aside from baskets of crisp, rosy red apples, it means fresh cider-and lots of it. Reduced apple cider, cinnamon, and ground cloves give this ice cream that fresh-from-the-orchard taste.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

6 egg yolks 1 cups unfiltered apple cider cup light brown sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground cloves cup applejack Whisk the egg yolks together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Put the apple cider in a small pot with the brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Simmer to reduce by about half. When the cider is thick and syrupy, take it off the heat.

Combine the cream and milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges. Whisk in the apple cider syrup.

Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly drizzle the hot mixture into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Whisk in the ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and applejack. Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture's temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Old-Fas.h.i.+oned Rum Raisin

No ice cream section would be complete without a recipe for Rum Raisin. This brown sugar ice cream is studded with rum-soaked raisins-and lightly spiced with cinnamon and fresh orange zest.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

1 cups dark raisins cup dark rum 6 egg yolks cup dark brown sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk Zest from a large orange teaspoon ground cinnamon The day before you're going to make your ice cream, put the raisins and dark rum in a small bowl. Cover and leave on the counter to plump up overnight.

Drain the raisins, reserving both the rum and raisins separately.

Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the cream, milk, and orange zest in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly drizzle the hot mixture into the beaten egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat. Strain into a large bowl. Whisk in the ground cinnamon and cup of the reserved rum from the raisins. (Save the rest of the rum for a Quick Dark & Stormy c.o.c.ktail.) Cool in an ice bath, whisking frequently to lower the mixture's temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 46 hours.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the plumped raisins in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Quick Dark & Stormy c.o.c.ktail It would be a crime to let any leftover rum go to waste. (And nothing wrong with a c.o.c.ktail while you're waiting for your ice cream to churn.)

Toss the leftover rum from the raisins in a gla.s.s filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a slice of candied ginger.

Chapter 4.

Gelato

What's the difference between ice cream and gelato? Fat, mainly.

While ice cream is made with more cream than milk, gelato is just the opposite: It's made with more milk than cream-not to mention fewer egg yolks.

Also, true Italian gelato is made with a different kind of machine-one that doesn't aerate the frozen mixture as much as a traditional ice cream machine-which makes for a denser dessert. Rest a.s.sured, you can make perfectly delicious gelato at home in your ice cream maker.

The process for making gelato is much the same as for making ice cream, with different proportions of ingredients. To brush up on the basics, see Ice Cream Making 101 in Chapter 3.

Bourbon Vanilla Gelato

This vanilla-scented gelato is sweet and simple, getting its flavor from Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract-arguably the queen of vanillas. It's the epitome of old-fas.h.i.+oned vanilla flavor. If you don't have bourbon vanilla extract, use the highest-quality extract you can get your hands on-or make your own (see Chapter 11).

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

4 egg yolks cup sugar 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 whole vanilla bean cup bourbon vanilla extract Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Slit the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Sc.r.a.pe out the paste with the back of your knife. Add the vanilla pod and paste to the pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges.

Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let the mixture infuse for 1520 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Warm the mixture again on the stove until steaming.

Slowly, drizzle the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170F on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.