Mamasue!!?? I need you!!!

[Jewel]

I finally got my Ultimate Ice Cream Book in the mail yesterday from Half.com! Everything looks SO good, but I'm so dang nervous about making ice cream again. First time I used the Cuisinart recipe for vanilla subbing 1% milk for the whole milk and half and half for the heavy cream. It tasted really good out of the Cuisinart, but once it was put into the freezer it got really powdery and icy. Someone mentioned that since I'd 'chilled' my custard in the freezer instead of slowly in the fridge as recommended, that I probably gave birth to lots of ice crystals in the freezer that just multiplied and had more babies while in the Cuisinart. So, that was a bust.

Second try was the Peach Ice Cream from August. That one was 3 cups of pureed peaches, a little milk, and no cooking, so that was easier to do, but still got icy and hard as a rock. By the way, my freezer is set on '1', the warmest setting. I've been scared to try this thing again, afraid of failure... :(

Last night I made the Lower Fat Vanilla Ice Cream from the book. 2 cups of 1% milk, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, a can of fat free sweetened condensed milk, and 4 tsp of vanilla. I was smart and put the mixture into the fridge to slowly chill overnight and today. No sugar in the mix 'cause it says the sweetened condensed milk is sweet enough? I'm wondering...anyway, I did everything I was supposed to do. I'm thinking the 4 egg yolks will help with the richness, as will the condensed milk. Plus, chilling slowly will also help. I'm almost terrified to make this stuff tonight when I get home! It seems like soft serve ice cream when I take it out of the Cuisinart, but after it comes out of my freezer it's icy or powdery. I'm using a 1.5 qt Tupperware container, and I put plastic wrap on top of the container before I put the lid on. Very little air trapped inside the container.

Did I do everything right? Any tips for tonight when I pour this stuff into the machine? Storing? I'm nervous!! Help! :confused:

[Mamasue]

Jewel....don't be nervous! It sounds like you did everything right. You made the custard yesterday and it is smooth and very cold. Your ice cream insert is frozen and ready to use. I still don't understand why your final product comes out icy and powdery. Making ice cream with the Cuisinart, and my understanding all ice cream makers , will produce a soft serve consistency. The final step is placing the ice cream in the freezer to harden up. I use the Glad throwaway containers to store the ice cream and have had no problems. I don't know of any other advice to give you and wish I could see what your ice cream looks like when you take it out of the freezer. I just had an idea......do you have a good friend or neighbor close by? If so when you make the ice cream divide it in two containers both exactly the same and freeze one in your freezer and the other in friend's/or neighbors. This test could show if the ice cream is anything different from your freezer and someone elses.....looking for the "icy and powdery" results. Good Luck and let me know if you will try this test and how it comes out. :) Oh, you will have to transport it in a cooler with ice to keep it real cold so that it doesn't soften more before you get it there.

P.S. After the ice cream has been frozen and I want a serving the next day I take it out of the freezer and let it sit for a minute or two so that its easy to scoop or spoon out. :)

[Jewel]

Thanks Mamasue!! It's spinning in the Cuisinart right now, so lets see how it goes. Have you ever made this lowfat recipe? I'm a little concerned about no sugar, just relying on the sugar in the condensed milk, but if these 'Ultimate' guys believe it then I guess I'll have to try it! Each batch I've made looks and tastes wonderful after it comes out of the Cuisinart, it's just after it's been in my freezer for a few hours that it gets icky.

I don't have any neighbors that I would ask to do the test, but I think that if something happens to this batch I may ask DH to fire up our old fridge outside. We have an old fridge in the garage that he says works, it's just too small and too old for his use, so he replaced it with our current model before I met him. If I have to, on the next batch I'll have him fire up the old fridge for a few days and put half in THAT freezer and see what's up! This looks like French Vanilla in there right now because of the condensed milk and all those eggs...plus...I cheated and used 4 tsp of Double Vanilla instead of 4 tsp of Regular Vanilla. Should be potent! Thanks for the quick advice! :D

[Mamasue]

Fingers are crossed! I haven't tried any of the Ultimate's recipes yet. I just received my copy from half.com last week and its been sooooo hot here all week that I can't even think about cooking never mind trying to make ice cream. I will check it out in my book and see if I have the ingredients.....maybe this weekend. I also want to try the Low Fat Chocolate one. So far I have been having much success and fun with the gelato recipe from July issue. So far I have used different variations, such as, Pineapple, Raspberry, Peach and lately Blueberry. They all have been awesome! :D