For many people, soft ice cream is a treat commonly served in fast food restaurants, but rarely served at home. Believe it or not, you can make it yourself at home. If you have an ice cream maker, you can make soft ice cream with just a few ingredients. Otherwise, you can use an electric stand mixer and dry ice for the same result. The second method will produce ice cream with a softer and more "authentic" texture, but requires more effort.
Ingredients
Simple Soft Ice Cream
- Homemade ice cream machine (includes ice, rock salt, etc. depending on product instructions)
- 1900 milliliters whole milk
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 pack (225 grams) ready-to-use whipped cream
- 1 pack (225 grams) vanilla flavored instant pudding
- 2 tablespoons vanilla flavor
Gourmet Soft Ice Cream
- Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 kg dry ice
- 950 milliliters whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/8 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup milk powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Step
Method 1 of 3: Simple Soft Ice Cream (With Ice Cream Maker)
Step 1. Prepare the ice cream maker machine in advance
Ice cream machines come in different models with different ways of working, but almost all machines have a two-layer bowl with coolant between the layers. To make ice cream, this bowl must be used cold. Therefore, chill the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour or two before making the ice cream. Study the machine's operating instructions for proper cooling time. Some models require cooling for overnight or more.
Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator to prevent frost formation
Step 2. Make the pudding dough
Before making ice cream, make pudding dough first from instant pudding. Follow the instructions on the pudding pack to make it. The process of making pudding takes 5 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of pudding made. For longer recipes, you will need more time to wait for the pudding to harden in the refrigerator. While waiting, you can prepare other ingredients.
Instant pudding has many variations. In general, all you need to do is mix the custard powder with the milk and chill it in the refrigerator until it hardens. Read our article for how to make instant pudding
Step 3. Combine pudding, milk and sugar
Place the ingredients in a large bowl and make sure the pudding has set before mixing. If you have one, you can use an electric mixer to quickly mix all the ingredients together. Otherwise, use an egg beater.
Just stir all the ingredients until smooth. You don't need to knead the dough until it becomes ice cream
Step 4. Add the whipped cream and vanilla
Stir gently while putting both ingredients in a bowl. Stir the dough several times until well blended.
If you don't have vanilla flavoring, you can use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (this is easier to find in supermarkets)
Step 5. Process the dough with an ice cream maker machine
Set up the ice cream maker by removing the bowl from the refrigerator and placing it and locking the bowl in place under the mixer. Pour the ice cream mixture into a bowl then cover and turn on the machine. Study the machine's instructions for processing ice cream. Generally, almost all models of ice cream maker will produce soft ice cream for 20-30 minutes.
Soft ice cream is better if enjoyed immediately. Ice cream can be stored in a refrigerated container, but the soft texture will be lost and will change to the texture of regular ice cream
Method 2 of 3: Gourmet Soft Ice Cream (With Mixer)
Step 1. Mix all ingredients (except dry ice) in a bowl
You can use a stand mixer for this step. Alternatively, use an egg beater to mix the ingredients by hand in a separate bowl. You don't need to knead the dough until it becomes ice cream; just stir the dough until smooth. Then, store the dough in the refrigerator.
Make sure the lumps of milk powder are completely dissolved before processing the dough
Step 2. You can also warm the dough on the stove
This step doesn't really need to be done, but it will make the ice cream softer. The heat of the fire will dissolve the powdered milk so that the end result of the ice cream does not produce lumps.
If doing this step, transfer the dough to a small saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat until it reaches 80°C. The dough will be warm enough, but not boiling. When the dough has reached the desired temperature, remove the pan from the heat then pour the dough into another container and store in the refrigerator before processing
Step 3. Crush dry ice
Place dry ice in a burlap sack or strong bag if hit. Alternatively, wrap dry ice in a towel. Then, use a hammer or a Teflon skillet to crush the dry ice. Transfer crushed dry ice to a Tupperware or plastic container. Do not use ceramic or glass containers as the very cold temperatures of dry ice can crack the container.
Be careful when handling dry ice. Wear gloves, oven mitts, or a towel to carry dry ice. If the skin is exposed to dry ice for a few seconds or more, the skin will burn like it has been exposed to heat. Never put dry ice in your mouth
Step 4. Process the ice cream dough with dry ice
Place the cooled ice cream mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir the ice cream on low speed with a paddle attachment. While the dough is processing, slowly add the dry ice to the mixture with a tablespoon (1 scoop per insert). The dough will start to foam and clump. Process the ice cream slowly. Wait for the dough to stop foaming before adding dry ice.
Step 5. Continue the process of making ice cream until it reaches a smooth texture
As the dry ice is added, the texture of the ice cream will begin to thicken. Increase the speed of the mixer then add the dry ice until the ingredients run out. Pay attention to the texture of the ice cream in this step. Taste a little ice cream if the texture starts to look soft. If you like the texture, the ice cream is ready to be enjoyed. If you want a denser texture, continue mixing by adding dry ice.
If you don't enjoy the ice cream right away, store it in the refrigerator. Use an airtight container to prevent the ice cream from spoiling
Method 3 of 3: Recipe Variations
Step 1. Use a piping bag for that classic soft ice cream look
When enjoying soft ice cream at a restaurant, it is usually served in a cone or bowl with a circular shape. If you want to serve ice cream with a circular appearance. Put the ice cream mixture into the bag (usually used to decorate cakes) and then spray the ice cream from the hole in the bag in a circle.
Stop spraying and use a "dunking" motion to stop the ice cream from coming out of the bag. This will create a curve at the top of the ice cream
Step 2. Add other ingredients for variety of flavors
The recipe above makes vanilla ice cream, but you can substitute it with other flavors. Keep using the basic ingredients of ice cream such as milk, cream, sugar, and others then replace the vanilla flavor with a taste according to taste. You are free to add ingredients such as syrup, smooth fruit, and other powdered ingredients because all the ingredients can be mixed with the ice cream mixture.
For example, if you want to make chocolate ice cream, add cup of cocoa powder to replace the vanilla flavor
Step 3. Make your own cone
Soft ice cream is perfect served with a cone. You can buy them at the supermarket, but you can also make your own with more delicious flavors and simple ingredients. Read our article on how to make cones. Keep in mind that you will need a cone or “pizzelle” mold. Both tools are similar to a flat-shaped waffle maker.
Step 4. Add the filling to the ice cream mixture
One easy way to modify ice cream is to add fillings. Below are some ingredients that can be directly added to the ice cream mixture before the ice cream is finished processing:
- Chocolate chip
- Strawberry Slice
- Cookie crumbs or cookie dough
- Corn chips or cereal
- Caramel
- Chocolate fudge
Tips
- For a more authentic vanilla flavor, use real vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract. 1 or 2 seeds already provide a rich flavor for a serving of ice cream.
- Some alternative recipes (like this one) provide a way to make cones from easily available ingredients, such as white bread.
