David Lebovitz - The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated

RESOURCES

AMAZON

www.amazon.com

Ice cream equipment and ingredients, including ice cream machines, ice cream cone makers and molds, and storage containers.

BIALETTI

www.bialetti.com

Top-quality stove-top espresso makers.

BOYAJIAN

www.boyajianinc.com

Peppermint flavoring, as well as natural citrus oils.

BREVILLE

www.brevilleusa.com

Ice cream machines, mixers, and other kitchen appliances.

CHEFS CHOICE

www.chefschoice.com

Ice cream conemaking machines, cone-rolling forms, and cone stands.

CHOCOSPHERE

www.chocosphere.com

High-quality chocolates from around the world, including chocolate in bulk. Cocoa powder and cocoa nibs are available as well.

CUISINART

www.cuisinart.com

Comprehensive line of ice cream machines, as well as blenders and food processors.

FRONTIER CO-OP

www.frontiercoop.com

Organic mint oils and extracts.

GUITTARD

www.guittard.com

American-made chocolate and chocolate chips.

KING ARTHUR FLOUR

www.kingarthurflour.com

Baking ingredients, including chocolate, extracts, and malt powder.

KITCHENAID

www.kitchenaid.com

Ice cream machines and freezing attachments for KitchenAid stand mixers, as well as other kitchen equipment.

LE CREUSET

www.lecreuset.com

Makers of my favorite flexible spatulas, called Spatula Spoons, that have a curved shape for reaching into corners of pots and a slight bowl, ideal for custard making.

OXO

www.oxo.com

Makers of heatproof spatulas, as well as sturdy measuring cups and spoons, whisks, ice cream scoops, and strainers.

PENZEYS SPICES

www.penzeys.com

Best-quality spices, as well as vanilla and orange extracts.

THE PERFECT PURE

www.perfectpuree.com

Frozen passion fruit puree, as well as other fruit and berry purees.

SALTWORKS

www.seasalt.com

Large selection of sea salts, including French fleur de sel and Maldon salts from Great Britain.

STAR KAY WHITE

www.starkaywhite.com

Almond and mint extracts.

SUR LA TABLE

www.surlatable.com

Cookware, espresso makers, ice cream machines, ice cream cone forms, and thermometers.

TOVOLO

www.tovolo.com

Maker of various types of reusable ice cream storage containers, as well as ice-pop makers.

TRADER JOES

www.traderjoes.com

Nationwide grocery chain with a wide selection of dried fruits, nuts, sour cherries in light syrup, and unsweetened coconut. Also chocolate sold in bulk and baking ingredients.

THE VANILLA COMPANY

www.vanillaqueen.com

Excellent pure bourbon, Mexican, and Tahitian vanilla extracts; whole vanilla beans; and dried, ground beans. All vanilla is sustainably grown and growers are paid a fair price.

WHITE MOUNTAIN

www.whitemountainproducts.com

Old-fashioned wooden-bucket ice cream makers, motorized or hand-cranked.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA

www.williams-sonoma.com

Ice cream makers, espresso makers, scoops, and a variety of equipment for making ice cream.

ZEROLL

www.zeroll.com

Professional ice cream scoops.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I was thrilled when my publisher, Ten Speed Press, let me write The Perfect Scoop several years ago, and just as excited when Aaron Wehner asked me if Id like to update it. So thanks to him, as well as to Julie Bennett and Ashley Pierce, who took on the task of being my editors and shared my enthusiasm for this new edition. (And to Clancy Drake, for steering the original book toward fruition.) To Ashley Lima and Serena Sigona for making the book so beautiful.

Thank you to Ed Anderson, who perfectly captured my ice creams with his camera and shared my passion for food and drink. And to food stylist Lillian Kang for coaxing the ice cream into place.

Thanks to Juliet Pries of The Ice Cream Bar in San Francisco and Gia Giasullo from Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain who let us shoot photographs in their shops.

Ill always be grateful to Lindsey Shere at Chez Panisse for teaching me much of what I know about making ice cream and pursuing pure flavors, as well as to Mary Jo Thoresen and Diane Wegner, who also watched over me (and gave advice) as I learned to make ice cream. And to Alice Waters, for providing fertile, and organic, grounds at Chez Panisse for all of us to grow from.

Thank you to my agent, Bonnie Nadell, for rolling up her sleeves, again.

And to Romain Pellas, my Frenchman, who was astonished by his first egg-white omelet (made with whites left over from testing all the ice cream custards in this book), but ate through them all, followed by lots of ice cream afterward.

CHAPTER 1

Basics

If youve never made your own ice cream before and youre used to the store-bought stuff, prepare to be impressed. Nothing beats the taste of freshly made ice cream spooned directly from the machine. Thankfully, its easy to make the freshest, most unbelievably tasty ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, and granitas in your own kitchen.

In this chapter, youll find all the information you need to do it. Starting with step-by-step instructions and photos for making the perfect ice cream custard, Ill take you through the process, discuss pitfalls to avoid, and guide you through steps to take in case you manage to fall into one of them. Good ingredients, the right equipment, and an understanding of the basic techniques are the keys to making perfect ice creams and sorbets. Ill also give you information about the various types of ice cream makers and advice to help you choose the right machine to buy.

MAKING PERFECT ICE CREAM CUSTARD

Many of the ice cream recipes in this book are French-style ice creams, which means they are custard based. Others are Philadelphia style, which refers to ice creams made by simply mixing milk or cream with sugar and other ingredients. French-style ice creams tend to be richer and smoother, due to the emulsifying properties of egg yolks. My fruit-based ice creams are usually Philadelphia style, because I prefer to let the flavor of the fruits come forward without the additional richness. But in some cases I offer a flavor in both styles, so you can decide which you prefer.

If youve never made an ice cream custard before, follow these step-by-step instructions to ensure success (in some recipes, note that the procedure may vary slightly). Although I make my custards in a saucepan over moderate heat, you may wish to cook your first few custards in a double boiler, or use a flame tamer to diffuse the heat, until you get the hang of it. They will take longer to cook, but youll appreciate the extra time to watch and make sure they cook to just the right consistency. After youve made a custard a couple of times, itll become second nature.

1. If youre using an ice cream maker that requires prefreezing, make sure the canister spends the required amount of time in the freezerwhatevers recommended by the manufacturer. Although the canister may feel frozen to the touch before the recommended time, if you use the machine prematurely you might end up watching the custard go round and round without ever freezinga big disappointment. So dont cheat! Most canisters require 24 hours of prefreezing. Machines with built-in compressors usually can be used right away, but check the manufacturers instructions that came with your model.

2. Before getting started, prepare an ice bath to expedite the chilling of the custard. To make one, put some ice into a large bowl and then add a cup or two of cold water so the ice cubes are barely floating. You could also partially fill an empty sink with ice and some water. Most custard-based ice cream recipes call for straining the hot, just-cooked custard right into the cream, which helps stop the cooking and expedites cooling. Set the bowl of cream into the ice bath, put a strainer over the top, and be sure to keep the setup nearby (as in, not on the other side of the kitchen); after youve cooked the custard, youll need to strain it into the bowl right away.