I scream for ICE CREAM!!!!

[not2late]

Alright. Let's talk about ice cream: making it, freezing it, eating it.

Before Atkins I rarely ate ice cream (eventhough I loved the stuff). And if I did eat it I used to eat the frozen yogurt due to the low fat thing (yeah we were all brainwashed at one point.) When I went on Atkins, I bought an ice cream machine. It was a Cuisinart.

I started off with the usual flavors like vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Additionally, during Induction, I made pumpkin pie ice cream, mint ice cream and green tea ice cream. When I moved onto OWL, I started making the fruit flavored ice creams. Currently, I've been experimenting beyond the usual ice cream flavors. My latest ice cream is a cucumber-ginger ice cream based on a recipe from a 1800s UK ice cream book. It's good and I'll probably tweak the recipe alittle bit. I'm toying with the idea for a lime-jalapeno ice cream

[Starmaker]

How do you keep from over indulging? Do you allow yourself a half cup only or something? Is it very carby? YUM

[tickletussler]

Hey Megs, what you are doing sounds absolutely fantastic! that way you can control every single bit of carb and sugar that goes into it - good on you! I really like it that you are very creative with your ice-cream combos.

How about a few more ideas? The flavours we also get here are:

wasabi (Japanese green horseradish paste eaten with sushi)
black sesame (ok, it comes out black but it tastes pretty nice)
red beans
taro/ube/yam (a type of tuber, purple, like sweet potato and absolutely yummy, and it's got a lovely lavender colour)
coconut

I've seen potato ice-cream in Korea, don't know what it's like.

How about a lime-ginger combo Megs?

Cheers

[not2late]

I usually make a pint of the stuff and divide it up into 1/2 cup servings. So that's how I keep control of the "portion size". Also, homemade ice cream can freeze solid, so if I don't remember to take it out when I come home, then it's going to be too hard to eat.

The carb count really depends on what you put into it. For a pint of ice cream I use 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup water. If I make a custard ice cream base, I use 2 egg yolks. And I use liquid saccharin to save the carbs.

You really don't need an ice cream freezer-machine either. You can pour the ice cream base into a shallow metal pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze, about every 45 minutes to hour, you'll need to remove beat the ice cream to break up the ice particles. For the small amounts I make, it takes about 2 hours for 1 pint in an 8 x 8 inch metal square pan.

Wasabi ice cream....that's an idea.

The next ice cream I'll make will probably be an avocado ice cream because I have a couple of ripe avocadoes I need to use...

[michele4ad]

We make coffee ice cream...YUMMY!

Michele

[not2late]

Okay, I tried a lime-flavored cream cheese based ice cream over the weekend. My guests loved it--thought it tasted like a frozen key cheesecake ,but without the crust.

I'm planning to do a watermelon sorbet this weekend.

[Laurenfra]

Megs,
Must have cream cheese Lime recipe. Lime is a favorite of mine.

[not2late]

Megs,
Must have cream cheese Lime recipe. Lime is a favorite of mine.

Okay this is what I did....

Soften 2 packages of cream cheese. Beat until fluffy. Then add the grated rind of 2 limes and their juice. Sweeten to your taste with the sweetener of your choice. Beat until fluffy again. Then beat 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese. Then put it into a freezer container with a lid for 2 to 3 hours. All the air you beat into the cream and the cheese will help give it that "ice cream" texture.

The original recipe used 1 pound of mascarpone cheese :yikes Don't get me wrong, I love my guests, but I don't love them that much lol.

[Isabeau]

Wow, that sounds good. I just got my new ice cream maker yesterday! I was at a Japanese restaurant a couple of weeks ago and my friends indulged in ginger ice cream and green tea ice cream. Man, I need to go grocery shopping!

[mrslee44]

I want to come and live at your house. :nod

What taste experiences you are having.

Robin
:hug

[cajunthunder]

Okay some of those flavors don't sound too appetizing to me, but hey, whatever makes your taste buds happy!

You know what's so great about this WOE is how creative Atkineers can get with food that other diet plans consider the kiss of death. Gotta love it! :yes

I modified the Chocolate Blobs by adding in some instant coffee granules and a splash of SF Kahlua syrup, and they are scrumptuous. Then I started thinking if you added some almonds, it would be like Baskin Robbins Jamocha Almond Fudge. I don't know if you're s'posed to thaw them first - I've been eating mine frozen - week before TOM, so when I want them, I want them NOW! So they really are like a blob of ice cream! :yummy

I love this place - so much creativity to share!! ha

[not2late]

I'm scratching the watermelon sorbet idea for now (watermelon has to get alittle more affordable before I'll sacrifice one to the ice cream machine.)

I have two kinds of basil growing in my container garden, so I'll try out a basil ice cream. If not that, then a tea flavored one.

[Starmaker]

Re: I scream for ICE CREAM!!!!

Wow I can't believe all those flavors you mentioned that I would NEVER have considered enjoyable with ice cream! WILD! I bought an ice cream maker last week. The brand is Rival and requires no ice or salt. It seems to work ok but its a soft serve machine and you really have to watch it, cause once it gets too cold, its no good to you as a soft serve. The recipes are not low carb in their book so I had to modify this and that. Does anyone have any low carb ice cream recipes to share? Also am curious as to the carb count of a 1/2 cup of it?

[not2late]

Re: I scream for ICE CREAM!!!!

I have two ice cream base recipes. Each will make between 3 to 3 1/2cups of base. Which is good if you have a 1 quart ice cream machine because as the ice cream churns, air is incorporated and the volume increases.

I also have found that adding the sweetener to the cooled base decreases the artificial/bitter taste many sweeteners have. And if you are using a flavor extract or essence, adding it when the base is at room temperature will preserve the flavor.

If the ice cream machine doesn't freeze the ice cream until solid. That's okay. Scoop the ice cream into a container with a lid and put in the freezer for about 1 to 2 hours. This will "firm" the ice cream up. You can also put this soft ice cream into popsicle molds and freeze for ice cream pops.

Couple of things to remember about ice cream
1. When a food is cold, the flavors are diminished, so it's okay to "overseason" it when hot or room temperature
2. Unless you add stabilizers to your homemade ice cream, it will freeze rock hard. So eat it fresh. Or freeze any leftovers in popsicle molds.

Custard base
3 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup water
sweetener to equal 1 cup of sugar (more or less according to your taste)
pinch salt

In a sauce pan, whisk together the egg yolks, heavy cream and water. Put over medium-low heat and stir with a spoon, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan.

Keep stirring, when you see whiffs of steam coming up from the custard, cook a minute longer and remove from the heat. (If you overcook it and it boils, it will curdle. Don't worry, once it cools you can toss it in a blender and blend it until smooth.)

Pour into a container with a lid, cool to room temperature. Add your sweetener and flavorings. Refrigerate until cold. Freeze according to your ice cream machine's directions.

Gelatin base
1 1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup water
pinch salt
sweetener to equal 1 cup sugar (or to your taste)

Put the gelatin powder into a small bowl. Pour about 1 tablespoon of water over it to soften it. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. Remove boiling water from heat. Add the softened gelatin and stir until dissolved.

Pour the gelatin-water mixture into the heavy cream. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Add salt, sweetener, and flavorings. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions.

Adding flavorings:

1. If you use an extract or essence or oil, add it to the room temperature base.

2. If you are using fresh herbs (mint, basil, lemon balm, etc.), heat at least 1 cup of the heavy cream to just boiling, add the fresh herbs, stir and cover. Allow to steep at least 1 hour or overnight. DO NOT bring this "tea" to a boil or else you'll lose the flavor. Strain away the herbs before using in the base.

3. If you are using dry flavorings (ground coffee, cocoa powder), mix the powders with a tablespoon of water or cream to make a thick paste. Then add it into the base, in order to make incorporating the powders easier.

4. If you are using the sugar free syrups, decrease the amount of water you use in the recipe. For example, if you use 1/2 cup of the syrup, use only 1/2 cup of water. The fluid volumes need to stay the same or nearly the same. Also, you'll have to taste the mixture to see if it has the flavor you want and the sweetness. I don't like boiling the syrups because I've found they lose some flavor, some of their sweetening power and some of them have residue after boiling.

5. If you are using a fruit puree, decrease the water and cream amounts. For example, you have 3/4 cup of strawberry puree, decrease the water by 1/2 cup and decrease the cream by 1/4 cup. Add the fruit puree to the cooled base, inorder to preserve the "fresh fruit" flavor.

6. If you are using a whole vanilla bean... For the custard base, let the vanilla bean cook with the custard. If you are using it for the gelatin base, combine the vanilla bean and 1 cup of the cream. Bring to a boil, steep and cool.

The carb counts vary on these recipes due to the sweetener you use and due to the "add-ins" you use. I eat only 1/2 cup servings of the ice cream because it is very rich and alittle goes a long way, if you eat it slowly and allow yourself to enjoy it's flavor.