Ice Cream For Christmas

Making ice cream is lots of fun and this Christmas there will be another group of lucky people who join the ranks of homemade ice cream lovers like myself. Santa will doubtless deliver a new ice cream maker to many homes - and long may that be the case!

For those of you to whom this applies, a piece of advice .... don't be afraid when you take the machine out of the box and the rest of the family look at you with excitement in their eyes, heavy in expectation of the wonderous ice creams you will now feel pressured to make for them. No, stay calm and casual. Remove the instruction manual and recipe booklet from inside the box and set time aside for yourself (perhaps with a glass of sherry) one evening when everyone's busy with other things and immerse yourself in reading them. It shouldn't take long - it's not rocket science after all  :)

Understand the basics of how to use your ice cream maker first and try just one simple recipe. Be patient - it may not work out perfectly the first time but the more recipes you try, the easier it will all become. Some ice cream recipes are simpler and quicker to make than others but dont be put off from trying the more time-consuming recipes, such as those that require a custard base.

My all time favourite is real vanilla ice cream made with a custard base, vanilla pod, fresh heavy/double cream and full cream milk. There's nothing quite like it! I have made all kinds of unusual ice cream and sorbets but I always come back to good old vanilla. Hopefully, when you've made plenty of your own ice cream you will understand what I'm talking about here.

In the meantime, good luck - may the joy of making your own ice cream lighten up your Christmas!

Footnote: If you want to interact with others about ice cream making, visit Ice Cream Recipes on Facebook where you can also view some of my ice cream photos and videos.