Strawberry Ice Cream

Hi everyone….back again after a long break.Though getting back was not easy as break made me sluggish and work shy.Cooking was constantly on but blogging part took the worst hit.Nevertheless springing back into the action I am here today with a soul soothing ,everyone’s favorite delectable summer special dessert…….Strawberry Ice cream.Yeah…..I can imagine many of you drooling but I am not in a hurry to move on to the recipe before jotting down some important points to know and remember about this dessert.Majority of us are aware that commercial ice cream involves continuous churning that results in a smooth and creamy texture preventing the formation of ice crystals.Nowadays domestic ice cream makers are also available that gives good results.But not all of us are privileged to own one. Making an ice cream sounds easy but achieving the results at par with the store bought or even better then that sometimes require some basic understanding of the ingredients and the process involved to nail the recipe.This blog intends to provide sufficient information about ice cream making at domestic level even for those who do not own an ice cream maker.Even I do not have an ice cream maker and neither do I miss owning one because I can make good ice cream without it and secondly I do not have to think about creating storage space for the same ….Hahahah…..which is again a big deal.So now moving on to the subject, Ice cream is basically an emulsion and emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible.In ice creams the liquid particles of fat are spread throughout the mixture of water,sugar and ice.But as time elapses there are chances that the liquids may separate into layers not yielding the desired consistency and creaminess to the ice creams.Hence the fat content and role of certain emulsifiers comes into picture which are added substances that  stabilize an emulsion and results in achieving the desired texture.While purchasing the cream one should aim for the fat% between 20-30% atleast.Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) and Glycerol Monostearate (GMS) are two such additives which are widely used in the ice cream and baking industry to get a nice creamy texture to the ice creams and a good loaf volume to the breads and cake and a nice texture to the biscuits.So now without getting involved too much into the chemistry of ice cream making, in a nut shell I would state that CMC powder and GMS powder act as a thickener and an emulsion stabilizer imparting a smooth and creamy texture to the ice creams.Procuring them is also not difficult as now a days these are easily available in the stores and can be even purchased online .Cornflour too act as a thickener, therefore proportions of GMS powder,CMS powder and cornflour should be used in a correct proportion to the milk solids and fats to achieve the desired results.I have stated below the recipe in a simplest possible manner and if followed nicely would definitely surprise with the outcome.This dessert I prepared for my kitty party ,so I missed on clicking pictures of some steps as I got too busy with other things.But as and when I make it next time I would surely update it .With the hope that it turns out beneficial for my readers as it did for me…..lets us quickly jump to the recipe below.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 250 ml + 50 ml  Whole milk
• 1.5 tbsp milk powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tbsp +1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp GMS powder(Glycerol Monostearate)
• 1/8 tsp CMC powder(Carboxy Methyl Cellulose)
• 1 cup strawberry preserve….have used home made preserve.Please check out the following linkChutneys and Preserves(Raw mango chutney,Tamarind chutney and Strawberry preserve)
• Few drops of vanilla/strawberry essence as per taste

Method:

• Make a lump free slurry by mixing milk powder,cornflour,CMC powder and GMS powder in 50 ml of milk at room temperature.
• In a vessel take 250 ml of milk along with sugar and heat the milk on medium flame till the sugar dissolves.Thereafter increase the flame and bring to a boil once.
• Lower the flame or can even switch off the flame and add the prepared slurry into the milk stirring continuously to prevent any lump formation.
• Cook the milk with slurry on low heat till a thin custard like smooth consistency is obtained(approximately 3-4 minutes).
  

  
• Take the vessel off the stove and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
• Once the mixture has cooled down to room temperature,mix in the whipping cream.
• Freeze the mixture in a suitable container for minimum 6-7 hours.
• Take out the frozen mixture in a bigger vessel and whip the mixture with the help of a hand blender till the mixture doubles up in volume.
• Fold in the strawberry preserve and add the essence.
• Pour the whipped ice cream mixture in suitable containers and freeze for minimum 8 hours.
• Scoop out the yummy ice cream in a bowl and enjoy…………………………..

Tips & Tweaks:

• Measure the ingredients right.
• Try to prepare a lump free base mixture.If by any chance lumps are formed then strain the mixture before freezing.
• Always check the fat content of the cream before using.It should fall between 25- 30 %.Higher the fat content better are the results as the more stable it is in the whipped state.
• Use preferably metal containers to freeze the ice cream however plastic containers would also serve the purpose.

Enjoy………………………………Happy Eating and Cooking!!!………………………………………………………