CLASSIC ICE CREAMS

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RECIPES FOR ALL the classics—vanilla, chocolate, coffee—as well as nut ice creams and those flavored with exotic ingredients like ginger and coconut. Ice creams made with fresh fruits require special techniques because of the moisture content in the fruit. These ice creams are covered in the following chapter. This chapter focuses on ice creams made with "dry" flavorings that do not upset the proportions in the custard.

Vanilla ice cream is the basis for all the ice cream and gelato recipes in this book. While the use of a vanilla bean makes a tremendous difference in this recipe, we have found that vanilla extract makes more sense for other flavors. The extract complements the flavors of chocolate, coffee, and nuts, while vanilla beans tend to overwhelm them.

When using a vanilla bean, pistachio nuts, or dried coconut, it is necessary to add an extra step to the basic custard-making process. These ingredients are steeped in almost-simmering milk and cream for about thirty minutes. They give up their flavor to the dairy ingredients, which are then used to temper the beaten egg yolks.

Other nuts, such as walnuts for Maple Walnut Ice Cream or pecans for Butter Pecan Ice Cream, are simply added at the end of the churning process. In these recipes, the nuts provide textural and flavor contrasts to the base. However, they are not used to flavor the custard itself.

Chocolate, coffee, and ginger flavors are best added in dry form, such as cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, or ground ginger. Using the liquid forms of these flavorings (like brewed coffee or a sugar syrup made with fresh ginger) adds extra water to the custard and can cause iciness. Melted chocolate can be used in small amounts to enrich a basic chocolate ice cream. However, we found that the fat in melted chocolate can be quite heavy on the tongue if used in large amounts or as the sole provider of chocolate.