Homemade Ice Cream with an Ice Cream Maker: Our Coolest Tips
Need to cool down? Your ice cream maker is guaranteed to be the star of your kitchen this summer. With this clever gadget, you can whip up sorbets, gelatos, and trendy ice cream recipes in no time and with no stress. So, how do you get started? Here are our coolest tips!
Quick ice cream maker recipes: Here's what you need to know
Ice cream makers for home use work in different ways, but they all share the same goal: delicious homemade ice cream.
- Self-cooling ice cream makers work in a similar way to professional machines. They actively cool the ice cream mixture and prevent ice crystals from forming by churning it. The result? Creamy, patisserie-style ice cream.
- With ice cream makers with an external cooling element, you'll need to use your freezer: simply place the mixture in the bowl, freeze it, and then churn it in the ice cream maker before serving.
Top results are possible with both types of machines. If you want to make your own ice cream with an ice cream maker, it all comes down to the recipe and ingredients. The basis for creamy ice cream is sugar, fat, and flavourings like fruit or nuts. To ensure as few ice crystals as possible form, follow these tips:
- The fattier, the better: The higher the fat content of the milk or cream, the less water it contains. This, in turn, means that fewer ice crystals can form.
- Not all sugar is the same: Classic industrial sugar lowers the freezing point of your ice cream, but other types can do even more: mix granulated sugar with dextrose for your ice cream recipe. Dextrose lowers the freezing point by around 130 percent!
- Add coarse ingredients at the end: Pieces of nuts or fruit should only be added to the ice cream mixture in the last five minutes. Ice crystals can form on them.
- Create a bond: With a little cornflour or locust bean gum, you can create a strong bond in the ice cream mixture, giving ice crystals no chance.
- First boil, then cool: If you boil the ingredients together before putting them in the ice cream maker, they will form strong bonds, water will evaporate, and the ice cream will be creamier.
Extra tip: Vanilla or chocolate? Time for something new! In the Lidl Recipe World, you'll find many unusual ideas for ice cream creations with a gourmet touch.
Quick recipe: Strawberry ice cream with an ice cream maker
You will need (for 4 portions)
- 150 g fresh strawberries
- 70 g sugar (preferably 50 g caster sugar + 20 g dextrose)
- 125 ml whole milk
- 50 ml cream
- A splash of lemon juice
Wash and hull the strawberries, then blend with the sugar, lemon juice and milk. Whip the cream until almost stiff and fold into the mixture. Leave to cool in the ice cream maker until it reaches your desired consistency.
You can adapt this quick ice cream maker recipe however you like. Use other berries, swap some of the milk for Greek yoghurt, or add other flavours like vanilla or a hint of balsamic.
No ice cream maker to hand? Swap the fresh strawberries for frozen ones and put everything into a powerful blender. Serve the ice cream immediately afterwards.
The ultimate summer dessert: Grilled ice cream!
Ice cream is a summer staple, and so is a good barbecue. So why not combine the two? Grilled ice cream sounds impossible, but it's actually very simple:
- Whisk the egg whites with the icing sugar until stiff. Make sure you use a clean, grease-free bowl. The quickest way is with a hand mixer.
- Place ice cream from your ice cream maker onto tartlet cases. You can simply buy these ready-made. For perfect scoops, it's best to use an ice cream scoop.
- Cover the ice cream on the tartlets completely with the meringue. There should be no gaps. Be careful not to let the meringue collapse.
- Place the tartlets on your barbecue rack, close the lid and bake briefly until the meringue forms a light brown crust. Serve immediately and enjoy!
