Ice Cream Ingredients

Dairy Products

• Milk: Whole milk is typically used in combination with cream to achieve a balance between body and creaminess in frozen desserts (except gelato, which is usually made entirely with whole milk). On its own, whole milk produces a dense frozen dessert because of its relatively low fat content. Low-fat milk and skim milk are not recommended for use in frozen desserts, as they yield a grainy and icy final product.
• Cream: Cream is sold in many different varieties, which vary slightly in fat content. Light cream, medium cream, heavy cream, and whipping cream can all be used in frozen desserts, but make sure to use the type indicated in your recipe before substituting other forms of cream. (Avoid ultrapasteurized cream, as it’s subjected to such a high temperature during production that much of its flavor is destroyed.) Desserts made exclusively with cream turn out very creamy and often even take on an overwhelmingly buttery richness—to find a balance between milk and cream that matches your tastes, try a recipe that calls for a combination of whole milk and cream and then adjust the proportions when you revisit the recipe.
• Half-and-half: As its name suggests, half-and-half is a mixture of whole milk and cream, so it has a fat content in between those two products. Though half-and-half is convenient, you can also create your own mixture with superior milk and cream.
• Yogurt: Use only whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt in frozen yogurt recipes unless they indicate otherwise. For extra-creamy frozen yogurt, try straining your yogurt overnight in a strainer lined with cheesecloth placed over a bowl and stored in your refrigerator.
• Sour cream: When used together with whole milk or cream, sour cream can lend frozen desserts a refreshing tanginess. Regular and low-fat sour cream yield good results, but nonfat sour cream isn’t recommended because it imparts a grainy and icy texture. Crème fraîche can be substituted for sour cream, but keep in mind that it has a higher fat content.

Sweeteners

Honey

Fruit Preserves

Eggs

Salt

Flavorings

Chocolate

• Bittersweet chocolate: Also called semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate (by law) must contain at least 35% cocoa solids. Its taste varies greatly from brand to brand and is usually sold in bar form, which is better for melting than chocolate chips are. If your recipe calls for chopped chocolate, use a serrated knife to saw corners off a chocolate bar. Any leftover chocolate can be stored in a cool, dark place where it will keep for several years. Before using bittersweet chocolate in a recipe, sample as many products as you can to find one that strikes the right balance between bitter and sweet.
• Milk chocolate: Made from sweetened dry milk to give it a mellower taste, milk chocolate must contain at least 12% milk and 10% cocoa solids, though some expensive brands have as much as 30% cocoa solids. As with bittersweet chocolate, bars are better for melting than chips. Seek out a brand you enjoy, avoiding common, mass-produced candy bars in favor of products with more cocoa solids. You can store milk chocolate in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
• White chocolate: White chocolate is a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin, and butter— it contains no cocoa solids. Many white chocolate products are made with inferior ingredients, such as hydrogenated fats, and aren’t derived at all from cocoa. So you should look for brands made from pure cocoa butter—it’s worth paying extra for a premium product.
• Unsweetened chocolate: Also called bitter chocolate or baking chocolate, unsweetened chocolate has no added sugar at all and contains between 50% and 58% cocoa solids. Because of its very bitter taste, it is used only in cooking and never eaten on its own.
• Chocolate chips: Chips come in bittersweet, milk, and white chocolate varieties, but unlike their bar equivalents, they contain less cocoa butter so that they can be molded into their familiar shape. As as result, they don’t melt as well as bar chocolate, though they’re convenient as a mix-in ingredient for ice creams.
• Cocoa powder: Made from dried and ground cocoa solids, cocoa powder is not the same thing as powdered chocolate or dried chocolate drink mixes—these products cannot be used interchangeably. Unless instructed otherwise, always use unsweetened cocoa powder. Some products are labeled as Dutch-processed, which means that they’ve been alkalized to reduce their acidity so that they react with leavening agents in specific ways during baking. Some cooks believe that Dutch-process cocoa powder has a deeper color and richer flavor than nonalkalized cocoa powder.
• Cocoa nibs: Bits of roasted cocoa beans, cocoa nibs are a crunchy form of pure, unsweetened chocolate flavor and can be used as a mix-in ingredient.

Vanilla

How to Use Vanilla Pods

1. Use a paring knife to split each pod lengthwise and then open it with your fingers to reveal the seeds.
2. While holding the end of the pod with one hand, drag the edge of a tablespoon or the blade of your knife up the interior of the pod to scrape out all the seeds.
3. Drop the seeds and the pod into your base (you’ll need to remove the pod before churning).

Other Flavors

• Extracts and oils: Natural extracts and oils made from peppermint, almond, and orange contribute bold flavors to frozen desserts even when used in small quantities. Natural and pure extracts are so superior to their artificial counterparts—often labeled as “imitation” or “flavoring”—that you should consider spending the extra money for them whenever possible. Store these extracts and oils properly, away from light and heat in tightly sealed containers, and they will last up to a year. They are very delicate and should be added to your base only after you’ve turned off the stove and begun to cool it.
• Fruit: Use fresh fruits when they are in season and at their peak of freshness. Read your recipes carefully, as some call for fruit by weight or volume, whereas others call for whole fruit by quantity. If you’ll be using frozen fruit, measure it before letting it thaw, as frozen fruit shrinks in size as it warms to room temperature.
• Nuts: Fresh or toasted nuts lend depth of flavor and crunchiness to frozen desserts. Proper storage is critical for nuts, as their high fat content makes them susceptible to spoilage. Always buy nuts in small quantities and store them sealed tightly in a cool, dark place. Nuts can also be frozen in tightly sealed containers or freezer bags. When using nuts in a recipe, consider toasting them briefly beforehand, since the heating process brings out their natural oils and heightens their flavors. Place them on a sheet pan, toast them for 6–8 minutes in an oven heated to 375°F, and cool them thoroughly before use. Most nuts are used as a mix-in ingredient in frozen desserts. (For more on mix-ins see How to Churn Your Ice Cream Base.)
• Alcohol: When used in small quantities, alcohol contributes flavor to frozen desserts. Because alcohol’s freezing point is below that of water, it keeps your ice cream from getting too hard. As a general rule, don’t exceed three tablespoons of 80-proof alcohol per quart of liquid, as large quantities of alcohol will interfere with your custard or sorbet base’s ability to freeze. You don’t need to buy the most expensive alcohol, but you should consider using a brand you would enjoy drinking on its own.