Cracker Jack Ice Cream
The theme for Berkeley's birthday party is a baseball training camp. Berkeley already requested Oreo Ice Cream, but we need something else to have enough to serve everyone.... something baseball theme... hmmm... I know how about Cracker Jack ice cream?! I came up with the idea of making the ice cream based on the "Burnt Sugar Ice Cream" recipe found in The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (found on page 22) and then just mixed in some cracker jack popcorn after the ice cream hardened. It's actually pretty good. Give it a try.

2 cups milk
1½ sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tbs cornstarch
1½ tbs milk
¼ tsp salt
1 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
about 1 cup cracker jack caramel coated popcorn

Place the 2 cups of milk in a small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Place the sugar in a large saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook until the sugar turns golden brown. Remove from heat and gradually add warmed milk to sugar, stirring constantly. The mixture will rise, foam, and splatter. Return to heat and keep warm.

Mix cornstarch and salt with remaining 1-½ tbs milk and stir until smooth, then beat into the egg yolks. Slowly add the milk/sugar mixture to eggs. Return mixture to pot and place over low heat. Stir constantly until slightly thickened (be careful to not heat too quickly or the eggs will scramble). Remove from heat and pour hot custard through a stainer into a large bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.

Transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker we own will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add cracker jack popcorn and mix to combine by hand. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer to harden completely.

Oreo Ice Cream
Berkeley's favorite flavor of ice cream is Oreo. He specifically requested it for his birthday party tomorrow. None of my ice cream recipe books have a "Cookies and Cream" or "Oreo" ice cream recipe, so I made it up. This recipe is based on the "Vanilla Ice Cream #1" recipe found in The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (found on page 129). It turned out great... probably the best batch of ice cream I have ever made.

2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs flour
¼ tsp salt
1-2/3 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 oreos

Beat sugar into eggs until thickened, add flour and salt and set aside. Simmer milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Slowly beat hot milk into the egg mixture and then transfer back to pan over low heat. Stir constantly until slightly thickened (be careful to not heat too quickly or the eggs will scramble). Remove from heat and pour hot custard through a stainer into a large bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.

Add 5 crumbled oreo cookies to ice cream mixture and then immediately transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker we own will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add remaining 5 Oreos (crumbled) and mix to combine by hand. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer to harden completely.

Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks
A few years ago I bought an ice cream recipe book that contains predominantly custard-style recipes called The Ultimate Ice Cream Book. This recipe is based on the "Coconut Ice Cream" recipe in that book (found on page 50). My own variation adds the macadamia nuts and chocolate chunk pieces. Enjoy!

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup macadamia nuts (or more if desired)
½ cup chopped chocolate bars (or more if desired)

Toast coconut in a broiler oven until golden brown. Beat sugar into eggs until thickened, add cornstarch and salt and set aside. Combine half-and-half with coconut milk and bring to boil over medium heat. Slowly beat hot liquid into the egg mixture and then transfer back to pan over low heat. Stir constantly until slightly thickened (be careful to not heat too quickly or the eggs will scramble). Remove from heat and pour hot custard through a stainer into a large bowl. Add toasted coconut, cream, and vanilla and mix to combine. Refrigerate until cold.

Transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker we own will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add macadamia nut pieces and chocolate chunks and mix in my hand. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer to harden completely.

Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
This is great ice cream... nothing like the fake green stuff sold in stores.

3½ cups milk
1 cup packed freshly picked mint leaves
4 eggs
1¼ cups sugar
2 cups cream
½ tsp salt
a couple of chocolate candy bars, finely chopped

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine milk and mint leaves. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes and then simmer for about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Wring leaves to extract all liquid. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly blend in sugar in three smaller measurements and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in cream and salt. Combine with cooled mint-flavored milk.

Transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker we own will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add chopped chocolate bars and mix to combine, then place in freezer to harden.

Chocolate Ice Cream
I pulled our White Mountain ice cream maker down from the cupboard above the refrigerator today... it's been awhile since we made a batch of homemade ice cream. This particular chocolate recipe is a combination of two recipes from a Ben & Jerry's book and a Williams-Sonoma book. The result is a chocolate ice cream that is light enough to allow for mix-ins like peanut butter cups, Oreos, etc.

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup unsweetened coca powder
3 cups milk
4 eggs
1½ cups sugar
2 cups cream
2 tsp vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Gradually add cocoa and whisk to combine. Add remaining milk. Remove from hit and chill. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl about 1 to 2 minutes. Blend in sugar ½ cup at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in cream and vanilla. Combine with cooled chocolate mixture.

Transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add mix-ins (optional), and place in freezer to harden.

(Update Fri May 30 10:06:52 PDT 2008 // 3 cups cream -> 2 cups cream... oops)