Ice cream.

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.  I LOVE ice cream, so it's always fun to talk about it.  I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker (shown to the left of this paragraph) and at about ten in the morning most Saturdays you can hear it whirring away making my latest concoction.  While I used to be a little more adventurous with the ice cream, I've really fallen into a pattern of Skor or Skor and chocolate chip ice cream or sometimes peppermint candy ice cream.  Occasionally I make a lemon sorbet (so tangy!), and when I'm feeling like a real treat I'll make a custard-style chocolate ice cream.

The best thing about making ice cream by hand is that it allows you to use up ingredients that would otherwise spoil, and it is by no means an exact science.  I know that's not the most exciting reason in the world to make ice cream, but if you think about it, taking milks and creams that would otherwise perish and making them into something delicious that won't go bad is a great idea.  There are two basic types of ice creams that you can make: Philadelphia style, and custard style.  The first is primarily cream-based, the second, although containing cream, also include a substantial amount of egg yolks.  Given that we almost always have milk, light cream or cream on-hand, I have gravitated towards Philadelphia style ice creams.  If the goal is to conveniently use up ingredients, it's easier in our household if I don't have to have eggs available.  Occasionally as a treat I'll make a custard style ice cream, and the next time I do, I'll post about it with pictures to show the process.