Ice Cream at Home

It's July, the weather is beautiful, and the evenings are magically long. The only thing I can think of that would make life any better right now is some refresing homemade ice cream.

If you like your fresh ice cream classic-style, you might be intereseted in a hand-crank, off-grid ice cream freezer like this one from White Mountain. In twenty to forty minutes, you can make a full gallon of frozen dessert.

The Camper's Dream freezer from REI uses similar principles, but with a twist: put salt and ice in one end, ingredients in the other, then throw this bright, BPA-free plastic ball around until the ice cream is frozen. (Available in standard and "mega" sizes.)

While these two types of freezer require no electricity, they do require plenty of ice, and leave behind quite a bit of salty brine.

If you prefer a simpler process that efficiently freezes using a pre-frozen bowl and a bit of electrical power, you might like a modern style like the KitchenAid ice cream attachment or the stand-alone Cuisinart ICE-30BC frozen dessert maker.

No matter which freezer you choose, good ice cream really comes down to good ingredients. There are lots of amazing recipes for classic ice creams and fruity sorbets, so I'll leave you with a unique recipe based on coconut milk. This rich dessert is suitable for vegans, but no right-thinking person of any lifestyle will miss the dairy.

Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

2 cans coconut milk

1 C sugar

1/4 C cornstarch

1 t salt

1 C coconut flakes (optional)

In a saucepan, mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of coconut milk. Add the rest of the coconut milk gradually, mixing well after each addition to avoid lumps. Add the sugar and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cool completely, then freeze the thickened mixture according to the directions of your ice cream freezer. If using coconut flakes, stir them into the fresh, soft ice cream. Enjoy!