Customer Reviews

Joy of Ice Cream, The

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't say enough about this "little jewel of a book." I saw it over a friend's house and had to have it. I have made several of the recipes and my family and friends can't stop talking about the desserts. The cinnammon ice cream is to die for! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves good, homemade ice creams and desserts.

Haven't made anything as yet; just got the ice cream freezer attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer and plan to renew my passion for homemande ice cream. Nothing like it. Book has a complete array of frozen delights and it has become one of my favorites to puruse and hopefully make specialties from. I also recommned Ben and Jerry's ice cream book; the two are the creme de la creme.

I can't believe that this wonderful ice cream book had THREE reviews as opposed to the Ben & Jerry's book, which came out around the same time (1987 vs. 1985)and has over 290 reviews!

So, I'm going to "make good" on this cherished recipe book and write a review, after owning it for 25 years.

First, a "warning" or "education": times change and food concerns change after 25 years!!! If you are not aware of this, then you've been living in a cave. What was common useage of raw eggs in 1985 now has Nervous Nelly's knickers all in a twist! IF using RAW EGGS has you thinking of running to the hospital in advance of using them, then CHECK YOUR LOCAL MARKET FOR PASTEURIZED EGGS, SUCH AS DAVIDSON'S. If this is too much bother for you, then don't buy THIS book or any other older book that requires raw eggs. Grow and adapt, I say.

Now, on to the review: assuming that you've bought pasteurized eggs or raise your own chickens, the recipe selection in this book is sublime! I own both this and the Ben & Jerry's book; this one has more exotic and interesting recipes than B & J's. Their Buttermilk Peach is an all time favourite; the cinnamon over piping hot apple pie is "To Die For", and the Red Plum and Turkish Delights recipes are insanely good. They also have loads of recipes for sundaes but we prefer to enjoy our ice cream "as is", though the photos and sundae recipes are sure to inspire other folks.

I've reduced my ice cream cookbook selection from 8 down to 2 books, the B & J and this one; that should say enough about how much I enjoy this book and it's recipes.

I have used this recipe book for years, and love all the ice creams and frozen custard recipes. The second part of the book is all about different ways to use the ice creams as in kinds of parfaits and pies and such. (I personally have no use for that.)

Many of the recipes use eggs, but there is no mention of egg safety. Instructions say to cook over simmering water until thick. This is very vague... how thick is thick? Being an experienced cook, I know that the eggs need to reach a temperature of 160 degrees to kill off the evil bacteria. Depending on the recipe used, the product can be very thick... think cake frosting... or slightly thick... think honey. I use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature before moving on to the next step. I have also successfully used cartons of pasteurized egg products from the grocery.

The ice creams are very rich, so when I want something a bit lighter, I use milk and/or half and half instead of full cream with great results.

I always try recipes as written before I make personal adjustments. In some recipes, you are instructed to cut up a vanilla bean and put it in the food processor with sugar and chop it up. Don't do this! The finely chopped pod feels like you are eating fine pieces of cardboard in ice cream. Instead, split the bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out and put that into the sugar. The results doing that are heavenly.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants yummy, rich ice creams. Just be sure you understand basic egg safety before using.

This cookbook is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 involves recipes for making a variety of ice cream flavors from scratch, while part 2 consists of recipes incorporating pre-made ice creams for pies, sundaes, frozen drinks and sauces. My quibble has to do with part 1. Every ice cream recipe requires the use of raw/undercooked eggs with no mention of egg safety. There is no mention or instruction to pasteurize the eggs, use pasteurized eggs or fresh eggs from a local farm you trust. The instructions for making each flavor ice cream is virtually the same. It merely states to place your milk, sugar, vanilla bean, egg yolks and whatever else ingredients into a bowl over a saucepan containing hot water and to blend your ingredients together. That's it. I'm assuming the author was unaware of food safety and salmonella when this cookbook was written. Part 2 of this cookbook isn't bad, as it includes some good ideas for various frozen dessert recipes with ice cream as the star ingredient. Bottom line ... avoid the ice cream recipes from part 1 of this book unless you are already familiar with the process of pasteurizing eggs or using safe eggs in your custard base.