How to Make Ice Cream without a Machine

Nothing says summer to me like ice cream. Our family’s collective per capita consumption of frozen treats rises significantly from June through August (Mr. Mom’s Kitchen has been known to indulge in “two-a-days” on summer vacations). While most of the ice cream we eat tends to come from a shop, making your own at home is easy.  And guess what? You don’t even need an ice cream maker.

This is something I learned at a talk by Christine Chitnis, expert in all things frozen. She wrote a charming new book, Ice Creamy Healthy Sweet, that’s packed with recipes I want to pack into my freezer right this minute.

Here’s what Christine suggests:

How to Make Ice Cream without a Machine

1. Make your ice cream or frozen yogurt base and store it in the refrigerator in a sturdy bowl until cold to the touch.
2. Transfer the bowl to the freezer and set a timer for 45 minutes.
3. When the timer dings, beat the ice cream vigorously with a whisk or hand held beaters, being sure to scrape down around the edges where it gets iciest.
4. Return to the freezer and continue this process every 45 minutes until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop (2 to 3 hours in total).
5. Best is to eat the ice cream right after the last beating, when it will be its creamy best. Alternatively, transfer it to a covered storage container and store until ready to eat. Remove it about 10 minutes before scooping, since homemade ice cream freezes up firmer than store-bought.

I tried it and indeed it works. The finished product is icier than from a machine, but it feels like magic at work. It’s just the sort of summer cooking project that kids love…perhaps something to pull out of your hat when you’re holed up in a cabin at the lake, sharing a beach house with friends, or visiting in-laws who don’t happen to have an ice cream maker, but do have a standard issue freezer.

For inspiration for what to put into your ice cream base, I suggest you turn to Christine’s book. Not only does every recipe look amazing, it’s all a whole let healthier than most frozen treats, relying on natural ingredients, less processed sweeteners, nothing artificial, and loads of recipes for those who can’t do dairy. Have a gander:

Chocolate Coconut Cinnamon

Raspberry Dark Chocolate

Mint Chocolate Chip (how sweet is her little boy?)

Photo credits: Christine Chitnis