How to Make Ice Cream: An Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide to Perfect Ice Cream, Gelato and Sauces

This is the kind of book that teach you about how to make something. With only your imagination, you can make the ice cream flavor you want with the advices that you'll get here. I already make 4 batches (vanilla, not bad (maybe because I use extract rather than vanilla bean); chocolate, I'll use less sugar next time (but better than the commercial ice cream) and rum raisin (twice, the best yet, superb texture and flavor), but I'm improving reading the book time after time. Believe me, you don't need another book; here you will get the "why" needed. Some advices from my experience: 1. Don't let the custard freeze after done; I found out that when churned, you will get tiny ice bits. Let the custard reach 40F and put it into the machine - Chill only. 2. You can help the machine put more air into the mixture if you stir it with a spoon (made of wood preferibly). 3. For those in my home country (maybe this apply for you also), I recommend to use the milk cream that comes in a UHT/brick container instead of the one that comes in an can; you will get a better color and texture. I also followed some advices found here (like "start your machine and pour the custard in" and "buy an instant read thermometer") to get the ice cream that my family and I like. And with the pride of getting something good from your own hands.

I discovered this little gem when I found that other ice cream cookbooks failed to provide specifics about the essential steps in making ice cream. For instance, many cookbooks recommend cooking a custard until it coats the back of a spoon, but when is that? Is it at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or 180? This book spells it all out, and it does so with helpful illustrations.It puts the Ben and Jerry's book to shame, both in terms of quality of product and with its no-nonsense practical recommendations. Nevertheless, the average cook may wish to plan in advance when preparing any of these recipes, as they are quite time-consuming.Having used the book to prepare about five different kinds of ice cream so far, I can safely say I've had the most success with the simple chocolate ice cream recipe. On the other hand, while the pistachio ice cream turned out equally sumptuous and delicious, the quantity produced was closer to a pint than a quart.Enjoy!

The team at Cook's Illustrated has produced a gem of a book for anyone who loves ice cream. As a lover of all sorts of delectables coming from the kitchen I know that the smallest details sometimes make a big difference in the quality of the final product. In the pages of this book you will find clear, thoroughly detailed descriptions and illustrations of exactly how to concoct perfect batches of great ice cream. Have your spoons ready...