Ice cream is perhaps the most democratic and universal dessert. You can enjoy it on the go. And at home, you can do anything with ice cream: add it to coffee, drizzle it with syrup, garnish it with jam, chocolate, or fresh berries. Ice cream is often included in other dessert recipes: for example, it makes a delicious complement to hot baked goods.

However, despite the overwhelming love that has befallen ice cream, very few dare to make it at home. And it's not so much the recipes (which, by the way, are not at all complicated) that deter ice cream lovers, but the length and tediousness of the process itself. After all, ice cream requires constant churning to infuse it with air. Otherwise, no matter how good the recipe, instead of a delicate treat, you'll end up with just a lump of sugary ice.

But technological advances have come to the aid of home cooks in this matter as well. Nowadays, it's easy to buy a miracle device that can easily make soft-serve homemade ice cream. This amazing device is called an ice cream maker.

Types of ice cream makers

Ice cream in an ice cream maker

Home appliances that can be used to successfully make cold treats at home are divided into three main types:

  • Fully automatic (equipped with their own compressor). Their only drawback is the relatively high price;
  • Automatic (no compressor). The downside is that before you can use this machine to make ice cream, you need to freeze the container for about a day;
  • manual - you will have to use your own hands to operate them.

Once all the pros and cons have been weighed and considered, and your new assistant has taken pride of place in the kitchen, it's time to finally learn the recipes for making homemade, healthy (since it's completely preservative-free) and delicious ice cream.

Some general principles of preparation

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Before you start making your own ice cream in an ice cream maker, carefully read the instructions included with the machine. This will help avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings.

Don't ignore the general rule for all ice cream makers: fill the container only halfway with the mixture, as the ice cream expands significantly during the cooking process. Make the mixture accordingly.

Ice cream is made only from the freshest ingredients. This guarantees both quality and taste, and is safe for the stomach.

There are basic recipes for this dessert:

  • Philadelphia (with very thick cream and milk);
  • and French (with yolks, milk and cream).

Basic recipe with cream

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You should always start with the simplest. It's hardly news to anyone that even the most sophisticated recipes always rely on one basic method. We'll talk about that now. To make ice cream in a 1.1-liter ice cream maker, you'll need:

  • 250 ml of cream with 20% fat content and milk (3.2% fat content);
  • 4 – 5 tbsp. sugar.

Making this ice cream is more than simple: you just need to mix all the ingredients, make sure it's sweet enough (everyone's taste is different), pour the mixture into the ice cream maker, and cook according to the machine's instructions.

This recipe is great not only for its simplicity but also because it offers a wide range of possibilities. You can add various ingredients to it, creating your own unique recipes. Suitable additions include chocolate, berries, fresh and dried fruit, condensed milk, and much more.

Basic recipe with yolks

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Since we're on the topic of basic recipes, we can't ignore an alternative method: the yolk method. It's very similar to the previous one, but, of course, it's still different:

  • 300 ml cream (20 - 35%);
  • 200 ml milk;
  • 3 yolks;
  • 4 – 5 tbsp. sugar.

What you need to do:

First, heat the cream and milk to about 80 degrees Celsius. Don't allow the mixture to boil, so remove it from the heat at the first sign of boiling.

While the cream mixture is heating, recipes recommend whisking the yolks with sugar until white. Now you need to equalize the temperature of the cream and yolks: to do this, pour a little cream into the yolks and quickly stir. Then, add the yolks to the cream and place over low heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it thickens, but never let it boil!

The thickened mixture should be poured into a cold bowl immersed in ice and cooled, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to the ice cream maker for further processing only once it has reached room temperature. From there, the smart appliance will take over the dessert.

We've deliberately limited ourselves to just two basic recipes. After all, using them, you can create an incredible number of delicious, ever-new variations of this exquisite cold treat.

Video recipe for making ice cream in an ice cream maker