Archive for: ice cream maker
The basic attachments for a KitchenAid mixer are a whisk, a paddle and a dough hook, all of which get regular use from home bakers baking anything from cupcakes to baguettes. KitchenAid actually makes a wide variety of different attachments for their stand mixers, and not all of them are just for baking. The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment is one that turns your KitchenAid into an ice cream maker. The attachment is a freezer bowl that snaps into place instead of the regular mixer bowl. It needs to be frozen for at least 12 (preferably 24) hours before using it, but when the bowl is ready you can pour your ice cream base into it and churn your ice cream using an included dasher (ice cream churning paddle) attachment. This type of freezer bowl typically takes 20-30 minutes to churn a soft ice cream, then the ice cream can be transferred to a freezer-safe container for longer storage.
This attachment is perfect if you already have a stand mixer and want to start making your own ice cream at home. With it, you don’t need to buy (or make room to store) a separate ice cream maker, and you can add one more thing to the list of great things you can do with your stand mixer.
Homemade ice cream is truly a special dessert. They’re rich, creamy and can be customized with any flavor or mix-in that you can think of. And since ice cream is usually store-bought by most of us, it is very impressive to friends and family when you make your own. There are all kinds of ice cream makers on the market, from models that cost less than $50 (and sometimes quite a bit less) to expensive models that go for several hundred dollars. Before jumping in and buying one, many will wonder the same thing: Do I need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream?
The short answer is no, you do not necessarily need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream. There are a few ways to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker. For instance, you can make ice cream using the granita method, and freeze your ice cream base and stirring it occasionally to distribute the ice crystals until it is completely frozen. You can also opt for a no-churn ice cream recipe that uses whipped cream to incorporate air into the mix. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more creative, I’ve made great ice cream using dry ice before (this technique can be done with a mixer or by hand).
That being said, it is easier, faster and you will get better results when you do have an ice cream maker. Ice cream makers are designed to speed up the process of freezing an ice cream base. When you speed up the time it takes to freeze the mixture, and add some churning action, you end up with smaller ice crystals and a much smoother finished product. An ice cream made with the granita method just won’t get quite as smooth as something made with a machine. You also have a lot more options when you use an ice cream machine, and you’re not just limited to no-churn recipes. Instead, you can make rich ice creams in any flavor, experiment with low fat ice creams (which can turn out very icy with some methods) and fruity sorbets.
So, while you don’t need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream in general, it is worth the investment if you’re in to making homemade ice cream on a regular basis because it makes the process faster and turns out top notch ice cream. If you don’t make any ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet or even slushy daiquiri-type drinks on a regular basis, however, it is just another tool taking up space in the kitchen and it isn’t worth adding one to your collection when you can make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker.
An ice cream maker is must-have kitchen gadget for ice cream lovers who will use it year round to make many batches of homemade ice cream in flavors from fresh Strawberry to Cookies n’ Cream. An ice cream maker isn’t a staple for those who only eat ice cream occasionally, however, as it doesn’t make sense to devote a lot of pantry space to an appliance that is only going to get used a few times a year. But homemade ice cream is a wonderful thing and, if you can spare a little bit of space, it is worth getting one. One ice cream maker in particular is small, fun to use and takes up very little room – a Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball.
The Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball doesn’t look like your typical ice cream maker.It has no plugs, no paddle to churn and requires no pre-freezing. Instead, you simply add ice and rock salt to one end of the ball, and pour your ice cream base into the compartment on the other side. Then you shake, toss, roll and move the ball around vigorously for 15-20 minutes. The movement of the ball churns your ice cream base and turns it into freshly churned ice cream! The ball comes in two sizes: Pint and Quart. The quart size gives you a little more ice cream, and will work well with most standard home ice cream recipes. I’d go for the larger size, unless you have kids who want to customize their flavors and might prefer the novelty of each having their own personal ice cream maker.
The ball isn’t going to be for everyone, especially since it takes a little effort on your part to get that ice cream churned! That said, it is a lot of fun to work with and will reliably turn out ice cream time and again. Kids will have a blast with it, and adults can justify any ice cream craving by thinking about the calories they’ll burn off playing with the ball to make a batch.
It is great to have an ice cream maker at home if you’re a big ice cream lover. Homemade ice cream, straight out of the machine, is something that is hard to beat with storebought products. It’s also fun because it is so easy to customize the ice cream with your favorite mix-ins, whether you like to add crushed up Oreo cookies or a swirl of caramel sauce. There are some ice cream recipes out there that you can make without an ice cream maker and still get outstanding results. One recipe that comes to mind uses sweetened condensed milk as a base and has whipped heavy cream folded into it, which adds the air that is normally incorporated into ice cream by an ice cream mixer. It’s easy to make, works out extremely well and, of course, uses no special equipment of any kind.
No-Churn Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is this type of recipe. It starts out with a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sauce, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Heavy cream is beaten to soft peaks and folded into the base. The resulting ice cream has an almost mousse-like consistency that just melts when it hits your tongue. It has a light chocolate flavor with just enough mint added to it. It is light and creamy, and it is never too hard to scoop straight out of the freezer. I have used homemade chocolate sauce when making this ice cream, but it is honestly just as good with a good quality chocolate or chocolate fudge sauce to use as flavoring (because you know you have some for homemade sundaes).
I typically fold small chocolate chips or coarsely chopped dark chocolate into this ice cream before freezing it. If you have mint chocolate baking pieces, which are sometimes available in grocery stores, or chopped mint chocolate bars, they will work even better and get a little more mint into your finished product.
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Homemade ice cream is a wonderful treat, but you really do need an ice cream maker for the best and most consistent results. There are many affordable ice cream makers out there (and plenty of more expensive ones!) that will pay for themselves if you make ice cream yourself regularly. If you don’t make ice cream on a regular basis, however, you probably don’t want another appliance taking up valuable room in your kitchen. So, is it possible to make great ice cream at home without an ice cream maker? Yes, and the secret is to use dry ice.
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide and it has a temperature of -109.3F (78.5C). It is primarily used for preserving ice cream and other frozen foods at very cold temperatures. For instance, it may be used to chill the interior of an ice cream cart on a hot day at the park so the popsicles don’t melt before they’re sold. It is also often added to Halloween punch because of the fog-like clouds that it generates when put into water or other liquids.
But how can you make ice cream with it?
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