School is out, the first (and second) heat wave has come through, and the kids need to be entertained… Now is the time to get friendly with your ice cream machine! My family started with Lemon Gelato, but we’ll be working our way through all of these tried-and-true favorite homemade cold treats. Sure you could go to a scoop shop, but personally I love making it at home. Trying out new homemade ice cream flavors and perfecting them into the something so so good… it’s tasty, it’s fun, and it’s a great way to fill some of these long hot summer days!
Quick note if you’re new to homemade ice cream – it will come out of the ice cream maker with a soft serve consistency. For something more scoopable, let it harden up in the freezer for a few hours.
Lemon Gelato
What started as, “Sure Mom <eye roll>, we’ll make you lemon ice cream for your birthday,” is now my son’s favorite. He tells me he might even pass on rainbow superman ice cream next time we’re in an ice cream store and seek out lemon there too. We shall see…
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- Zest from ~1/2 lemon
- 5 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine milk and lemon zest in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat, cover, and let mixture infuse for 20 minutes. Strain into a separate bowl or pitcher.
- Whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in infused milk.
- Pour mixture into a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it forms a custard thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (~10 minutes).
- Cool quickly by placing the pan over ice or several inches of cold water. Stir, and then transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate until well chilled (1 hour minimum).
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Strawberry Ice Cream
We sought this one out after one particularly productive picking experience at Froberg’s. It is incredibly easy, and incredibly delicious. An absolute summer staple for us!
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 Tb honey
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Mix together strawberries, honey, sugar, and lemon juice. Let stand for 15-20 minutes, until strawberries have released their juices.
- Process mixture in a food processor or blender until there are no longer large chunks of strawberries, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add heavy cream, half & half, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Mint Chip Gelato
If you’ve ever tried to grow mint, you know it is a weed and will take over everything. After you’ve made mojitos, use the extra in this fresh frozen Mint Chip Gelato, courtesy of the Food Network. You will not be disappointed!
No-Churn Banana Ice Cream
If you’re thinking ice cream sounds amazing, but you’re over the sugar overload, this one is for you. Frozen ripened bananas are the perfect base for your next cold treat. Overripe bananas in my house usually get sliced and frozen so I have a supply on-hand to make this frozen treat on demand. I’ve made this with chopped chocolate chips, nuts, chocolate fudge, maple syrup, Nutella (and combinations of all of the above).
Ingredients
- 4 very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into large coins
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 -1/2 cup mix in of your choice.
Instructions
- Place bananas in a plastic bag in one layer, seal, and freeze until firm (6 hours or more).
- Remove from freezer, and let the bananas soften for 10-15 minutes.
- Place bananas in a food processor, add the heavy cream and vanilla, and puree until smooth, stopping occasionally to break up any large chunks. About 5 minutes.
- Drizzle in mix-ins and pulse a few times to combine. Nuts, chocolate chips, or other chunky ingredients may need to be folded in with a spatula.
- Ice Cream is ready to serve now as a soft serve treat or can be frozen for a few hours for a firmer texture.
Simple Chocolate
Its easy to get complicated with chocolate ice cream, but my favorite is still the simple recipe that came with my ice cream maker. Make it your own with different mix-ins, or play with the sugar and cocoa ratios to get the sweetness you like.
A Few More
I cannot vouch for these recipes, as I haven’t made them myself. But the internet sees me interested in ice cream and has kindly placed these in my social media advertising feed. This Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream reminds me that it’s blueberry picking season now, and I can’t think of a better way to use in-season fruit. And of course I’ll try anything Martha suggests, including this non-dairy mango sorbet.
Time to Get Churning
Making homemade ice cream is just good summer fun. Your kids will have a blast churning their own treats, and you’ll love watching them stare into the depths of the ice cream machine. If you have a favorite ice cream recipe, please drop it in the comments. Expanding my ice cream palate seems like an excellent summer hobby!
