Ice cream stores in Australia are famed for creating some of the most inventive, unique, and of course, tasty ice cream flavours in the world. They’re also pretty big on the whole performance aspect of serving ice cream, with ice cream stores making the dining experience fun and interactive for the entire family.
Getting ice cream during a community quarantine, however, isn’t easy. It’s disappointing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your favourite frozen treats at home, even without an ice-cream maker! If you can’t get this pure indulgence from your favourite ice cream stores in Australia, we’ve found not one, not two, but three ways you can make ice cream at home:
3-Ingredient Method
The simplest method of all, this requires two types of dairy, a flavouring (in this case, vanilla), and a freezer. That’s it!
Ingredients:
– 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1 can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
– 2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Whip the cream using an electric mixer until it reaches the ‘stiff peaks’ stage. Lower the speed and add the condensed milk and vanilla. Once combined, pour the mixture into a container and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Freeze for 6 hours.
That’s it; you’ve just made yourself a delicious home-made ice cream. You may add fruits, nuts or chocolate syrup for a delightful dessert.
Freeze and Stir Method
This method creates an ice cream that more closely resembles the stuff you get in the shops. It takes some time, but the results are guaranteed.
Ingredients:
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 3/4 cups granulated sugar
– 1 tbsp vanilla extract
– 2 cups heavy cream
– 1 1/4 cups whole milk
Directions
Beat milk and sugar with an electric mixer until the sugar is dissolved fully. Stir in the vanilla and the cream, along with the salt, and mix until thoroughly combined. Place the mixture in a stainless steel container and put in the freezer for 45 minutes, or until the edges start freezing. Once they do, remove from the freezer and stir with a spatula, then freeze again. Repeat this process every 30 minutes or so, for up to two hours, or until the mixture is frozen.
The Plastic Bag Method
Even quicker than the other two methods, this recipe requires a bit of elbow grease.
Ingredients
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1 tbsp vanilla extract
– 1 1/4 cups whole milk
– 2 cups heavy cream
– 3/4 cups granulated sugar
– 4 tbsp coarse salt
– 4 cups crushed ice
– Two heavy-duty plastic bags or Ziploc bags, one bigger than the other
Directions
Mix the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small plastic bag. Stir until everything is combined. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag tightly. Put the crushed ice and coarse salt in the big plastic bag. Add the plastic bag containing the ice cream mix into the larger bag with ice. Seal the larger bag and start shaking as vigorously as possible for around 8 to 10 minutes. Use gloves when you do this, as the bag gets extremely cold. Once the ice cream mix in the small bag freezes, take it out of the large bag and rinse or wipe down before transferring to a container. This is to prevent salt from going into the ice cream mix.
Note:
For these recipes, we chose vanilla. It’s the base for a lot of different flavours. Perfecting the process is your gateway to other, more inventive flavours. Go on and create your home quarantine selection!