Here you'll find our favorite ice cream maker recipe book collection. You'd think with the hundreds of recipes in our own files, we wouldn't get all that excited about yet another ice cream book – but we do.
There is always something new to learn – a tip, a twist to an old recipe we hadn't thought of before, or some weird flavor we haven't tried yet. So yes, we do get excited about each new ice cream cookbook that comes our way!
Note that most of these books are ice cream maker recipe books - in that they assume you own an ice cream machine - but you could conceivably use almost any of the recipes without one. Learn how to make ice cream in a bag - no machine necessary. The end result just won't be as smooth and creamy.
Although the number of exotic flavor combinations makes this a welcome addition to any veteran ice cream maker's library, the clear instructions make it a good choice for novices too. Plus David's personal stories about each recipe make this a fun read.
The photographs are gorgeous, so just paging through the book is a lovely experience in itself.
We usually use recipes as a springboard for our own ideas, but with this book, we’re perfectly happy to follow the recipes just as they’re written. You can’t go wrong with a single one!
This one is for all Ben & Jerry’s lovers out there. If you can’t pick up a pint of your favorite Ben &Jerry’s flavor at your local store, you can probably find the recipe in this book. Not only do Ben and Jerry share recipes for some of their most popular ice cream flavors, they also provide a host of tips on when to use which kind of ice cream base, how to add in mix-ins (nuts, chocolate chips, candy bars – you name it) so they don’t sink to the bottom, and more.
To be honest, however, we’re divided on this book’s merit as a cookbook. Some of us love it and think it’s great. Those of us who have some reservations feel that while it’s lots of fun to read Ben’s and Jerry’s comments and see the recipes for popular flavors, some of the recipes use raw eggs, and some of the measurements for the baking recipes are way off.
If you’re looking to have fun with your ice cream maker, however, then you’ll probably love this book.
If you’re serious about your ice cream and want a resource to help you deal with issues of texture, richness, storage and other advice to help you make really gourmet ice cream, this is not it. Choose The Perfect Scoop instead.
This book is for serious cooks only – but … ah … what a book! This is a coffee-table book level cookbook, with stunning photographs on great paper. The book covers everything a professional would want to know about ice cream – history, equipment, ingredients, and much more.
For the homemade ice cream maker, there is one drawback – you’ll need a calculator. The recipes are given in restaurant-sized quantities – liters/gallons of milk and kilos of eggs at a time! The nice touch, however, is that proportions are also given, in percentages. So you can easily cut the recipes and double check you’ve got the proportions still right.
Why go through all that trouble? Well … first because the recipes are outstanding. Second, the presentation in the photos is so beautiful you’re going to be inspired to do the same at home. And third, because any book from the Culinary Institute of America is worth its weight in gold (and given the size of them, that’s a lot of gold!) to any avid cookbook collector.
Here’s a strong basic ice cream maker recipe book, with clear explanations and good recipes. Although you won’t find some of the more exotic offerings of some other books, you’ll find great, well-tested recipes for many traditional flavors. The recipes are for 1 quart ice cream makers – double them if you have a 2-quart machine. The section on ice cream basics is quite good and there are photos of every recipe, which also makes this a lovely book to look at.
For vegans or people allergic to dairy, this is a trove of interesting recipes for non dairy ice creams with, as the title promises, great mouth-feel to imitate the sensual experience of rich ice cream. Many of the recipes use tofu or coconut milk, and they tend to be very simple to make. A very welcome addition to the non-dairy kitchen!
If our ice cream history page only whetted your appetite for more, here’s the book for you.
It's a fun, quirky romp through the history of our favorite dessert that’s very informative and really enjoyable to read, too.
While you're waiting for your new ice cream maker recipe books to arrive, check out how to choose the best ice cream maker for you and order yourself one, so you'll be all set when the books arrive.
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