Just try something

Homemade ice cream is all about experimentation.
By JEREMY KOHLER
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
ere's the first rule about homemade ice cream: Don't expect it to please your 5-year-old.
Not every time, anyway.
"Pretty good," he said after sampling my latest undertaking: avocado ice cream.
He might have been expecting mint because of the pale-green color. Instead, he got a cold, nutty sensation that, no doubt, slid unobtrusively past his first couple of thousand taste buds, finally hitting a pleasant note at the back of his tongue.
Silence. Then: "Dad, can I have the good stuff?"
By good stuff he meant Edy's Grand Neapolitan.
Yes, it's tough to compete with the frozen trinity that's frequently half-price at the supermarket.
That's precisely why, after making about 20 flavors of ice cream in the past year, I have yet to make strawberry, chocolate or vanilla (though I have made pistachio, mint chip and a few other essentials).
I focus on flavors you usually won't find along the supermarket freezer aisle. Basil. Rosemary. Chai. Dulce de leche. Margarita. Pumpkin pie. Guinness.
(Guinness? More on that later.)
Making ice cream is about something else: Experimentation. Trial and error. The search for the undiscovered flavor.
How it works
You're part chef, part artist, part alchemist. The recipes are as simple as can be.
You take the flavorful essence of pretty much any food, simmer it down, add cream and sugar, maybe some eggs, strain it, stir it, freeze it in an ice-cream maker and ... voila! You have ice cream.
How about roasted garlic? Butternut squash? Wasabi? Green tea? All are flavors I plan to make soon.
The second rule about homemade ice cream is that just because you can make something into an ice cream doesn't mean that you should make something into an ice cream.
Not every flavor from the food world translates well. My list of failed ice creams includes two with a common ingredient: alcohol.
The first was the ostentatiously named Port Wine Cherry Chocolate Chunk, a recipe I made up when I so foolishly believed that there was no such thing as bad ice cream.
Who doesn't like port? Who doesn't like cherries or chocolate? What could go wrong?
Oops
Everything. The alcohol in the port didn't fully cook off and reacted poorly with the milk and eggs. The whole mixture ended up with a beautiful, deep red hue -- and a stinky, eggy, winey smell. My wife melted it down to salvage the chocolate chunks.
Nothing tops the Guinness debacle.
It was a shame, because it held such promise. It came out of the ice-cream maker with an airy texture and a silky brown color. Reducing the stout by half on the stove had cooked off the alcohol but doubled the bitterness. Sweetened with sugar, the concoction became a cluster bomb of extreme flavors. I sheepishly offered some to my neighbors, inducing their dear daughter to gag.
The Guinness ice cream retained value as a conversation piece, though. Another friend stopped in, and I challenged him to try a spoonful.
"Totally rancid," I warned.
He confirmed it.
"Oh, my," he said, eyes bugging out.
Getting better
I finally pleased my 5-year-old, and everyone else in the house, by serving dulce de leche ice cream for breakfast on Mother's Day.
I made the ice cream a few days in advance. It is one of the easiest to make because its big caramel flavor comes from one ingredient: sweetened condensed milk.
I whipped up four stacks of French toast and topped each of them with caramelized bananas, fresh strawberries and a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream.
There was no talk of Neapolitan.
BASIC RECIPES MAKE EXPERIMENTING EASY
If you'd like to experiment with ice-cream flavors, these mixes are good starting points. Add your choice of crushed fruit, extracts or other ingredients.
These recipes all yield about 2 quarts of ice cream. They are from "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream," by Dick Warren with Bobbi Dempsey (Alpha, 2006, $14.95).
BASIC MIX NO. 1: In a bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 3 cups heavy cream and 3 cups half-and-half until sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until cold (40 degrees).
BASIC MIX NO. 2: Beat 4 egg yolks and 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Pour 2 cups half-and-half into a heavy saucepan, then stir in egg mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (160 degrees). Transfer to a bowl. Stir in 2 cups heavy cream; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until cold (40 degrees).
BASIC MIX NO. 3: In a bowl, whisk together 3 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups chilled sweetened condensed milk until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate until cold (40 degrees).
MARGARITA ICE CREAM
5 egg yolks
Grated zest (colored portion of peel) of 1 lime
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup semisweetened lime juice (see note)
1/4 cup tequila (preferably orange-flavored)
Bring a few inches of water in a saucepan to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a heatproof mixing bowl that will fit into the pan (forming a double boiler), beat yolks until light and fluffy. Mix in zest, cream and milk. Fit bowl into pan (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Cook over simmering water, stirring almost constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon (160 degrees). Remove from heat; set bowl in a sink or larger bowl filled with ice water to cool mixture quickly.
In another bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice and tequila; mix well. Add to cream mixture; mix well. Refrigerate until mixture reaches 40 degrees.
Transfer to an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Yield: About 2 quarts; 8 servings.
Per serving: 427 calories; 29g fat (61 percent of calories from fat); 17.5g saturated fat; 227mg cholesterol; 7g protein; 30.5g carbohydrate; 28g sugar; no fiber; 94mg sodium; 204mg calcium; 253mg potassium. Note: Semisweetened lime juice is sold in liquor stores and in the liquor aisles of supermarkets.
Adapted from "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream," by Dick Warren with Bobbi Dempsey (Alpha, 2006, $14.95).
AVOCADO ICE CREAM
4 very ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
In a food processor or blender, puree avocados with cream, sugar and lime juice until smooth. Transfer to an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Per serving (based on 8 servings): 334 calories; 26g fat (70 percent of calories from fat); 9g saturated fat; 41mg cholesterol; 2.5g protein; 22.5g carbohydrate; 13g sugar; 7g fiber; 18mg sodium; 33mg calcium; 519mg potassium.
Adapted from "125 Best Ice Cream Recipes," by Marilyn Linton and Tanya Linton (Robert Rose, 2003, $18.95).
ROSEMARY ICE CREAM
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups whole milk
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
In a bowl, whisk yolks with granulated sugar and brown sugar until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring half-and-half, milk and rosemary to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Discard rosemary. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture. Scrape mixture into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let boil. Strain into a clean, large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Stir cream mixture. Transfer to an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Per serving (based on 8 servings): 193 calories; 10.5g fat (49 percent calories from fat); 6g saturated fat; 105mg cholesterol; 5g protein; 19.5g carbohydrate; 17g sugar; no fiber; 53mg sodium.
Adapted from "125 Best Ice Cream Recipes," by Marilyn Linton and Tanya Linton (Robert Rose, 2003, $18.95).
MASALA CHAI ICE CREAM
1/2 cinnamon stick
8 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
2 cups water
3 ( 1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup simple syrup (see note)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Using a mortar and pestle, crush cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves and cardamom pods until fine and powdery (or use a clean coffee grinder).
Combine spice mixture, water, ginger and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain into a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in simple syrup and cream. Cover; refrigerate until cold. Stir mixture, then transfer to an ice-cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Per serving (based on 6 servings): 222 calories; 8g fat (32 percent calories from fat); 5g saturated fat; 29mg cholesterol; 1g protein; 36.5g carbohydrate; 34g sugar; 1g fiber; 19mg sodium.
Note: To make simple syrup, combine 2 cups granulated sugar and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes more. Transfer to an airtight container; refrigerate until cold. Refrigerate leftovers.
Adapted from "125 Best Ice Cream Recipes," by Marilyn Linton and Tanya Linton (Robert Rose, 2003, $18.95).
DULCE DE LECHE ICE CREAM
1 (10-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pour condensed milk into a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring cream, milk and cinnamon stick to a simmer. Remove cinnamon stick.
Slowly pour condensed milk into large bowl. Gradually whisk in cream mixture, then vanilla. Cover; refrigerate until cold. Stir mixture. Transfer to ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Yield: 4 servings.
Per serving: 478 calories; 30g fat (56 percent calories from fat); 18.5g saturated fat; 112mg cholesterol; 9g protein; 43g carbohydrate; 42g sugar; no fiber; 137mg sodium; 309mg calcium; 398mg potassium.
Adapted from "125 Best Ice Cream Recipes," by Marilyn Linton and Tanya Linton (Robert Rose, 2003, $18.95).