A wooden spoon stirring chopped chocolate and nuts into a large white ceramic bowl filled with smooth vanilla ice cream

Chapter 6: Mix-Ins

Buttered Pecans

Pralined Almonds

Spiced Pecans

Wet Walnuts

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts

Buttercrunch Toffee

Peanut Brittle

Croquant

Honey-Sesame Brittle

Peanut Butter Patties

Oatmeal Praline

Peppermint Patties

Speculoos

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Stracciatella

Fudge Ripple

Dark Chocolate Truffles

White Chocolate Truffles

Marshmallows

Candied Lemon Slices

Candied Cherries

There is something quintessentially American about mixing things into ice cream. Perhaps it’s because we like to have our cake (and cookies and brownies) and eat them too. Especially if they’re smashed into ice cream! Like the previous American Revolution a couple centuries back, the mix-in revolution took hold in Boston in the 1970s, when an ice cream shop came up with the idea of offering a panoply of popular candies, toasted nuts, nuggets of cake, and hunks of cookies—just about anything you could think of—and patrons were faced with that all-important decision of how to customize their scoops.

Once customers decided (I always seemed to be stuck behind the ones who couldn’t), the brawny young folks behind the counter would slap a mound of ice cream onto the cool, hard slabs of marble and layer on whatever treats had been chosen. With brute force, they’d go to work, smashing and mashing the jumble of ingredients until everything came together into a messy, schizophrenic, wildly cohesive mass. Then they’d heap the impossibly large mound into a cone and off you’d go. For insurance purposes, I always requested my scoop in a cup, since as a regular, I’d seen all too many accidents where, after just a couple of licks, gravity would triumph and the oversized mound of ice cream would go tumbling downward, prompting a collective sigh of sympathy across the sidewalk.

The great thing about homemade ice cream is that it gives you the freedom to mix in whatever you want, in any quantity you want. You can really load it up. If you’re anything like me, you like lots of stuff in your ice cream. Big chunks of Dark Chocolate Truffles in White Chocolate Ice Cream? Permission granted. Glistening, ruby red Candied Cherries embedded in Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry Ice Cream? Be my guest.

So here’s your chance to unleash your own creativity and customize your ice cream as you like. I’ve given guidelines throughout the book, called Perfect Pairings, that are meant to plant the seeds of possibility. In general, I find that about 1½ to 2 cups (375 to 500 ml) of goodies makes a good mix-in for 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream. But this is just a suggestion; some people prefer less stuff added to their ice cream, while others like the extravagance of lots (and lots) of stuff, so by all means take some personal liberties here. All of the mix-in recipes can easily be doubled and any leftovers can be stored in the freezer in a zip-top bag and used for the next batch. And remember, if you’re adding mix-ins to your ice cream, you’ll want to have a big enough container, larger than 1 quart (1 liter), for the ice cream along with your mix-ins.

When adding mix-ins, speed is vital since you don’t want your just-churned ice cream to melt. To start, scatter a few of the mix-ins in the bottom of your storage container, then put it in the freezer; some of the mix-ins, especially the larger pieces as well as the Peanut Butter Patties and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, will be much easier to add if they’re chilled first.

As soon as your ice cream is churned, add the rest of the mix-ins, stirring quickly to disperse them evenly, then transfer the ice cream to the storage container. Put a lid on it, then get the container right into the freezer without delay.

If the mix-ins are in small pieces, I add them directly into the machine during the last minute of churning so they get mixed evenly. Larger mix-ins are best folded in after you’re done churning, since they can get stuck and may cause the motor to rebel. A good rule is that anything larger than a chocolate chip is probably best folded in after the ice cream has been churned completely.

As for ripples and swirls, resist the temptation to overmix them into the just-frozen custard. You don’t want a big, muddy mess. Instead, you want to end up with wide, distinct layers. The best way to get these is to begin with a big spoonful of the swirl mixture at the bottom of the storage container, since there’s nothing worse than getting to the bottom and finding plain ice cream. Continue to layer the mixture, alternating ice cream, swirl mixture, some more ice cream, and then more swirl. If you’re a lily gilder, add chunks of nuts or any of the other mix-ins in as you go.

One final word: If a mixture doesn’t come out as you think it should or if you mess something up, go ahead and use it; it will likely taste delicious in the ice cream and no one will be the wiser. And feel free to crumble any cookies or bits of cake you may have left over into freshly churned ice cream. I’m positive many of the things that have gotten mixed into ice cream in the past were mistakes or leftovers that someone was trying to use up. And why am I so sure? I’ve done it myself … and no one was the wiser.

Buttered Pecans

I used to cringe every time someone would start a sentence with, “When I was your age …,” knowing that I was in for a lecture, heavy with nostalgia for days gone by.

Nowadays, though, I find I’m doing the same a little too often for comfort. But it’s true, when I was younger (perhaps your age), my local ice cream parlor would serve, alongside their gloriously overloaded ice cream sundaes, little paper cups filled way up to the brim with buttered pecans roasted in real, honest-to-goodness butter, for just five cents. Five cents!

Yikes! I think I’m becoming my parents.

MAKES 1½ CUPS (175 G)

1½ tablespoons (25 g) butter, salted or unsalted

1½ cups (150 g) pecan halves

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Melt the butter in a skillet. Remove from the heat and toss the pecans with the melted butter until well coated, then sprinkle with the salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once during baking.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

MIXING THEM IN: Chop the Buttered Pecans coarsely, then add them to them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning, or sprinkle them over when serving ice cream.

STORAGE: Buttered Pecans can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pralined Almonds

This is one of my all-time favorite and most requested recipes. These nuts are lots of fun to make, and you’ll feel like a real candy maker as you triumphantly tilt your first batch out of the pan. Whole almonds get cooked in a syrup, simmering until the sugar crystallizes and clings to them, creating a crackly caramelized coating. This recipe can easily be doubled.

MAKES 1½ CUPS (250 G)

¼ cup (60 ml) water

½ cup (100 g) sugar

1 cup (135 g) whole almonds, unblanched and untoasted

⅛ teaspoon coarse salt, preferably fleur de sel

Mix the water, sugar, and almonds in a large, heavy-duty skillet. Put the pan over medium to high heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid boils.

Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring for just a few minutes, until the liquid crystallizes and becomes sandy. Very soon the crystals of sugar on the bottom of the pan will begin to liquefy. Stir the dark syrup at the bottom of the pan over the nuts to coat them. Continue to stir the nuts and scrape the syrup over them until the almonds are glazed and become a bit glossy and shiny. (Sometimes I remove the pan from the heat while they’re cooking to better control the glazing, so they don’t get burned.) Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the almonds with the salt. Tip them onto an ungreased baking sheet and allow them to cool completely. As they cool, break up any clusters that are stuck together.

MIXING THEM IN: Chop the Pralined Almonds coarsely, then add them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning.

STORAGE: Pralined almonds can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.

VARIATION: Substitute 1 cup raw (unroasted and unsalted) peanuts for the almonds to make Pralined Peanuts.

Spiced Pecans

It’s often said that when selling your home, you should bake something aromatic and spicy to entrance potential buyers with the homey scent wafting from the kitchen.

These pecans are simple enough to make in the mad scramble before opening your house to strangers, and there’s no better way to fill your home with a heady mix of spices. I recommend folding them into Bourbon Ice Cream (see variation on Vanilla Ice Cream), which you can happily eat to celebrate the closing of the deal.

MAKES 2 CUPS (300 G)

2 tablespoons egg whites (see Note)

¼ cup (60 g) packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

A few grinds black pepper

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon ground chile

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (200 g) pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl for about 15 seconds, until loose and foamy. Stir in the brown sugar, spices, vanilla, and pecans. Spread the coated nuts evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking, until the coating has hardened onto the pecans and they’re nice and dry. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

MIXING THEM IN: Chop the Spiced Pecans coarsely, then add them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning. They can also be sprinkled over ice cream when serving.

NOTE: To measure the egg whites, beat them vigorously with a fork for a few seconds, until they’re loose and slightly foamy. The whites will then be easy to pour and measure.

STORAGE: The pecans can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

VARIATION: Make Spiced Walnuts by substituting untoasted walnut halves for the pecans.

Wet Walnuts

I was going to call these “Walnuts Gone Wild” but took a less seamy route and decided on simply Wet Walnuts. You can draw your own conclusions. But there’s nothing indecent about these maple-glazed walnuts, except how good they taste.

MAKES 1½ CUPS (330 G)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (140 ml) dark amber maple syrup

1½ cups (150 g) walnuts, toasted and very coarsely chopped

Big pinch of salt

Heat the maple syrup in a small skillet or saucepan until it just begins to come to a full boil. Stir in the walnuts, then cook until the liquid comes to a full boil once again. Stir the nuts for 10 seconds, then remove them from the heat and let cool completely. The nuts will still be wet and sticky when cooled.

MIXING THEM IN: Chop the Wet Walnuts coarsely and add them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning.

STORAGE: Wet Walnuts can be stored for up to 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature, but they’ll lose a bit of their crispness overnight, so it’s best to prepare them shortly before using them.

VARIATION: To make Wet Pecans, substitute toasted pecans for the walnuts.

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts

These easy-to-make peanuts will make you feel like a chocolatier assembling a world-class candy bar. If you’re anything like me, you can’t keep chocolate bars around the house without breaking off a hunk every time you pass by, so by all means double the recipe if you want, just to make sure there’s enough for folding into the ice cream later on.

MAKES 1½ CUPS (265 G)

4 ounces (115 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup (150 g) roasted, unsalted peanuts

Put the pieces of chocolate in an absolutely dry heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. In the meantime, stretch a piece of plastic wrap over a dinner plate.

Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the peanuts, coating them with the chocolate. Spread the mixture on the plastic-lined plate and chill.

MIXING THEM IN: Use a chef’s knife to chop the chocolate-covered block of peanuts into bite-sized pieces, then mix them into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Chocolate-Covered Peanuts can be stored for several months in an airtight container, refrigerated or at room temperature.

VARIATION: You can substitute Salt-Roasted Peanuts or Pranlined Peanuts (see variation on Pralined Almonds) for the roasted peanuts in this recipe.

Buttercrunch Toffee

Buttercrunch Toffee

When I put this recipe on my web site, I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of comments and accolades. It seems I’m not the only one out there who craves toffee—especially this buttery-crisp candy enrobed in dark chocolate and showered with lots of toasted almonds. It’s very good folded into ice cream, and although the recipe makes a bit more than you’ll need, I don’t think you’ll have any problem finding something to do with the rest.

MAKES 2 CUPS (400 G)

1 cup (135 g) almonds, toasted and finely chopped

1 tablespoon water

4 tablespoons (60 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar

⅛ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup (80 g) chocolate chips, or 3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Using half of the chopped almonds, form an 8-inch (20-cm) circle in an even layer on an ungreased baking sheet.

Fit a small, heavy-duty saucepan with a candy thermometer, then add the water, butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, mixing them together. Have the baking soda and vanilla measured and ready.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring as little as possible. When the mixture reaches 300°F (150°C), remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Mix just until combined; don’t overstir.

Right away, pour the hot toffee mixture over the circle of almonds on the baking sheet. Using as little movement as possible, spread the toffee to cover the circle.

Scatter the chocolate pieces over the toffee and wait 2 minutes to allow them to melt. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer, then scatter the remaining chopped almonds on top, pressing them into the chocolate. Cool completely, until the chocolate is firm. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, you may need to cool it in the refrigerator. Remove it once the chocolate has hardened.

MIXING IT IN: Chop the Buttercrunch Toffee into coarse chunks, then fold the pieces into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Buttercrunch Toffee can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the freezer or at room temperature.

VARIATION: Feel free to substitute toasted hazelnuts or pecans for the almonds. I also like to fleck a few grains of coarse salt over the chocolate before adding the nuts. You can substitute milk chocolate for the dark chocolate if you wish.

Peanut Brittle

In spite of what you might see on television or read in cooking magazines, restaurant cooking is demanding, hectic work. Luckily, I baked professionally with Mary Jo Thoresen for many years, and although we worked really hard, we survived by finding humor in the craziest things, which would make no sense to anyone but us. We did everything from making up movie titles by substituting with the word “quince” in them (A Room with a Quince, Quince on a Hot Tin Roof, etc.) to writing a rap song about baking. At perhaps the depths of our silliness, we became obsessed with all things Scoopy, the clown on the box of ice cream cones you buy from the supermarket. Soon I started finding little pictures of him stuck in the oddest places in the pastry area where we worked. (I even discovered one on the windshield of my car one night after work.) Naturally, my nickname became Scoopy.

Now that we’ve both become grown-ups, Mary Jo (aka Scary Jo) is the pastry chef at Jojo restaurant, which she co-owns, in Piedmont, California. Here’s her recipe for Peanut Brittle, which she crushes into brickly bits and adds to Vanilla Ice Cream, dousing it with warm chocolate sauce for a wonderfully over-the-top peanut brittle sundae that should make sense to anyone. If you want to get creative, try mixing Peanut Brittle bits into Fresh Ginger Ice Cream or Peanut Butter Ice Cream, and top it off with chocolate sauce as well. Whatever you mix it into, I’m sure you’ll find the result absolutely scoop-endous.

MAKES 2 CUPS (500 G) CRUSHED BRITTLE

½ cup (125 ml) light corn syrup

½ cup (100 g) sugar

2 tablespoons water

1½ cups (225 g) salted cocktail peanuts or Salt-Roasted Peanuts

½ teaspoon baking soda

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, or grease it lightly with peanut or vegetable oil.

In a medium, heavy-duty saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, mix together the corn syrup, sugar, and water. Bring the syrup to a full boil, then add the peanuts. Cook, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula, making sure the peanuts aren’t burning as the syrup cooks (some like to hide behind the thermometer, so keep an eye out for that). Have the baking soda measured and ready.

Cook until the temperature reaches between 300° and 305°F (149° and 151°C). Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the baking soda. Working quickly, pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it as thinly as possible with the spatula. Let cool completely. Once cool, break the brittle into bite-sized pieces.

MIXING IT IN: Fold the crumbled peanut brittle into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine; Mary Jo likes to reserve a few extra pieces for scattering over the top.

STORAGE: Peanut Brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Croquant

Croquant is French for “crunchy,” and this version certainly lives up to its name and reputation. This simple mix-in of toasted nuts enrobed in glossy caramel is wonderful when crushed and added to ice cream. You can crack it as fine, or as coarse, as you want. One tip: Adding the nuts to the caramel while they’re still warm will make them easier to mix.

MAKES 2 CUPS (350 G)

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1½ cups (150 g) whole almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or peanuts, toasted

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Spread the sugar in a heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.

Add the nuts and stir gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the nuts onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread as evenly as possible. Let cool completely.

Once cool, break the Croquant up in a food processor, or place it in a zip-top freezer bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to crush it.

MIXING IT IN: I like a lot of croquant in my ice cream and use the entire batch, but you may use less if you want. Add 1 to 2 cups (175 to 350 g) of crushed Croquant to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning.

STORAGE: Croquant can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature.

Honey-Sesame Brittle

This delicate but highly flavored brittle may lose its appealing crispness after it cools, so I recommend baking it just an hour or so before adding it to just-churned ice cream. I like it mixed into ice creams that are exotically flavored, such as Anise Ice Cream or Lavender-Honey Ice Cream. Sesame seeds are very flavorful, and you’ll find that a small amount of this brittle will provide lots of flavor to any ice cream you chose to mix it into. Feel free to add a little freshly grated orange zest to the honey as well.

MAKES 1 CUP (270 G)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) good-flavored honey

1½ cups (210 g) sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat.

In a skillet, warm the honey. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds, coating them with the honey until they’re moist.

Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

MIXING IT IN: Break the Honey-Sesame Brittle into little pieces, then add them to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning.

STORAGE: Use soon after it’s cooled, preferably within an hour or so.

Peanut Butter Patties

You don’t need me to tell you that Peanut Butter Patties are the best when embedded in any chocolate-flavored ice cream. Use a commercial brand of peanut butter when making these since natural-style peanut butter will make them too runny. If you want tinier pieces in your ice cream, simply shape the mixture into smaller patties. And although they’re rich, if you want more to add to your ice cream, it’s easy to double the recipe.

MAKES FORTY ½-INCH (2-CM) PATTIES

6 tablespoons (90 g) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Mix together the peanut butter and sugar in a small bowl. Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, about ½ teaspoon each, and drop them onto the dinner plate. Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold the Peanut Butter Patties into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Peanut Butter Patties can be stored in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.

Oatmeal Praline

If you take a bite of the finished Oatmeal Praline (which I don’t recommend, however tempting), you’ll find that it’s stubbornly hard. But don’t worry. Once you’ve smashed it into bits, folded it into your favorite ice cream, and left it in the freezer a bit, the pieces will soften up perfectly and become toothsome nuggets.

MAKES 1 CUP (175 G)

¾ cup (75 g) rolled oats (not instant)

½ cup (100 g) sugar

Pinch of coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the oats evenly on the sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, until the oats are fragrant and nicely toasted. Remove from the oven.

Spread the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.

Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once the mixture is deep golden, remove it from the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet (lift the foil to guide them in quickly). Return the foil to the baking sheet.

Stir the oats gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the oats onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread them as well as possible. Sprinkle with the salt and let cool completely. Once firm, break the pralined oats into small pieces by pulsing them in a food processor or placing the pieces in a heavy-duty plastic bag and smacking them with a mallet or rolling pin.

MIXING IT IN: Fold the Oatmeal Praline pieces into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: The Oatmeal Praline can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature.

Peppermint Patties mixed with Vanilla Ice Cream

Peppermint Patties

These mint disks are adapted from a recipe passed on to me by Elizabeth Falkner, the owner of San Francisco’s deservedly popular Citizen Cake bakery. The mixture is simple to put together, and you can adjust the mint flavor to your liking. Taste a bit and add more if you wish, as mint extracts and oils vary. I make my Peppermint Patties very minty, which is especially important when they’re crumbled into deep, dark chocolate ice cream, a combination I call “The Girl Scout Cookie Effect.”

MAKES 2 CUPS (450 G) CHOPPED CANDIES

2 cups (225 g) confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) light corn syrup

2 teaspoons water

Scant ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract or oil

6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap or parchment paper and dust it with about 1 tablespoon of the confectioners’ sugar.

In a bowl, mix the corn syrup, water, and mint extract or oil. Gradually stir in the remaining confectioners’ sugar. As the mixture thickens, knead it with your hands until it forms a smooth ball (it will seem dry at first, but it will come together).

Pat the dough out onto the sugar-dusted baking sheet about ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick and let it dry, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Melt the chocolate in a clean, absolutely dry bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Cut the mint disk into 6 triangular wedges, as if cutting a pie, and brush off any excess powered sugar. Using 2 forks, dip each wedge in the chocolate, turning it over to coat both sides, then transfer each piece to the plastic-lined dinner plate. (Since they’re going to be chopped up, don’t worry if they’re not museum quality.)

Chill in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate has firmed up, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold the Peppermint Patty pieces into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Peppermint Patties can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.

Speculoos

These cookie chunks are inspired by the famous spiced cookies from Belgium, which are zippier than American gingersnaps. Soft-baked Speculoos meld wonderfully when folded into ice cream, but if you’d like to make them crunchier, break the cookies into little bite-sized nuggets and toast them in a low oven (325°F, 165°C) for about 10 minutes, until dry and crispy. Cool completely, then fold the crunchy bits into your ice cream.

MAKES 1½ CUPS (200 G) CRUMBLED COOKIES

2 tablespoons (30 g) salted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons (45 g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

1 large egg yolk

½ cup (70 g) flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the molasses and egg yolk.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until smooth. Using your hands, pat the batter onto the baking sheet in a circle about 5 inches (12 cm) in diameter, then bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, break the Speculoos into bite-sized chunks.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold bits of Speculoos into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Once baked, Speculoos can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature, well wrapped, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The unbaked dough can also be stored in the freezer for the same amount of time.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

I was an early trendsetter. I was snitching bites of raw cookie dough long before anyone else, way back in the sixties, so I would like to take credit for starting the craze.

Okay, maybe I wasn’t the first kid to snitch a bit of raw cookie dough. But whoever came up with the idea for adding cookie dough to ice cream rightly deserves the accolades from ice cream lovers across the United States. (I’m not sure the idea of raw cookie dough in ice cream has international appeal.)

This dough is packed with crunchy nuts and lots of chocolate chips, all embedded in a soft brown sugar dough. I debated with myself that this may be too much cookie dough for the average person to add to ice cream. Then, after much nibbling (while thinking about it), I decided that it was just not possible to have too much cookie dough!

MAKES 2 CUPS (300 G)

5 tablespoons (70 g) salted butter, melted

⅓ cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (35 g) flour

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup (50 g) walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

¾ cup (120 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour, then the vanilla, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Form the dough into a disk about ½ inch (1 cm) thick, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm. Once chilled, unwrap the disk and chop the dough into bite-sized pieces, then store the pieces in the freezer until ready to mix in.

MIXING IT IN: Fold pieces of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: This dough can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer, well wrapped.

Stracciatella

Just about every gelateria in Italy features a bin of stracciatella, vanilla ice cream with chocolate “chips.” It results from a technique that clever Italians devised for pouring warm, melted chocolate into cold ice cream. The flow of chocolate immediately hardens into streaks, which get shredded (stracciato) into “chips” as the ice cream is stirred.

The trick to stracciatella is to pour it into your ice cream maker in a very thin stream during the last moment of churning. If your aim isn’t very good, or your ice cream machine has a small opening, transfer the melted chocolate into a measuring cup with a pouring spout. (If you’re using a microwave to melt the chocolate, simply melt the chocolate in the measuring cup.) The trick is to pour it not on the turning dasher (mixing blade) but into the ice cream itself.

You can also drizzle it over the ice cream as you layer it into the storage container, stirring it very slightly while you’re pouring.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 QUART (1 LITER) OF ICE CREAM

5 ounces (140 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (do not use chocolate chips)

In a clean, absolutely dry bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring it until it’s completely smooth.

MIXING IT IN: Drizzle a very thin stream of the warm chocolate into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream during the last possible moment of churning. If the chocolate clings too much to the dasher, remove the ice cream from the machine and drizzle the chocolate into the frozen ice cream by hand while you layer it into the storage container, breaking up any chunks as you stir.

Fudge Ripple

This has the authentic taste of that old-fashioned ripple of fudge. You can swirl it through just about any ice cream you like. Try it in Fresh Mint Ice Cream or as a contrasting swirl through White Chocolate Ice Cream.

MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)

½ cup (100 g) sugar

⅓ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup

½ cup (125 ml) water

6 tablespoons (50 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

MIXING IT IN: The Fudge Ripple should be thoroughly chilled, as it’s easiest to use when very cold. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the Fudge Ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring the Fudge Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking.

STORAGE: Fudge Ripple can be stored for up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

VARIATION: To make Mocha Ripple, substitute strongly brewed espresso for the water in the recipe, or stir in 1 tablespoon of best-quality instant coffee granules after you boil the mixture.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

These truffles will stay slightly soft in frozen ice cream. You can make them smaller or larger than indicated.

MAKES FORTY ½-INCH (2-CM) TRUFFLES

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (140 ml) heavy cream

3 tablespoons (45 ml) light corn syrup

6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon Cognac, rum, or other liquor or liqueur

Heat the cream with the corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until it’s melted and the mixture is smooth. Mix in the Cognac. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Form little ½-inch (2-cm) truffles using two small spoons. Scoop up a teaspoonful of truffle mixture, then scrape it off with the other spoon onto the dinner plate. Repeat, using all the truffle mix. Freeze the truffles until ready to mix in.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold the Dark Chocolate Truffles into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine. If you wish, break or chop the chilled truffles into smaller pieces first.

STORAGE: Dark Chocolate Truffles can be refrigerated or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks.

White Chocolate Truffles

White truffles are especially fun to fold into Chocolate Ice Cream for both color contrast and taste.

MAKES FORTY ½-INCH (2-CM) TRUFFLES

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (140 ml) heavy cream

9 ounces (255 g) white chocolate, finely chopped

In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the white chocolate until it’s melted and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the truffle mixture into a small bowl and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Form little ½-inch (2-cm) truffles using two small spoons. Scoop up a teaspoonful of truffle mixture and scrape it off with the other spoon onto the dinner plate. Repeat, using all of the truffle mix. Freeze the truffles until ready to mix in.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold the White Chocolate Truffles into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine. If you wish, break or chop the chilled truffles into smaller pieces first.

STORAGE: White Chocolate Truffles can be refrigerated or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks.

Marshmallows

These marshmallows are chewy and compact, designed to be folded into ice cream. They are indispensable in Rocky Road Ice Cream (see variation on Chocolate Ice Cream) but can be deliciously added to lots of other flavors as well. To measure powdered gelatin, open the envelopes and measure the granules with a tablespoon. These are best made in a heavy-duty stand mixer.

MAKES 30 TO 50 MARSHMALLOWS, DEPENDING ON SIZE

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) cold water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin powder

⅔ cup (130 g) sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

About 1½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for tossing with the marshmallows

Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cold water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and fit the mixer with the whip attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top to soften.

In a small, heavy-duty saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons water with the sugar, corn syrup, and salt.

Cook the syrup over medium-high heat until it reaches 250°F (121°C), tilting the saucepan to make sure the bulb of the thermometer is submerged in the syrup to get an accurate reading.

When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on to medium-high speed and begin slowly begin pouring the syrup into the mixer bowl in a thin stream, aiming the hot syrup near the side of the mixer bowl (if you pour it over the beaters, the syrup will just get splattered onto the sides of the bowl, rather than into the gelatin).

Continue slowly pouring the syrup into the gelatin in a steady, threadlike stream. Once you’ve added all the syrup, turn the mixer to high speed and whip for 8 minutes, until the mixture is a stiff foam. Whip in the vanilla extract.

Sift ½ cup (60 g) of the confectioners’ sugar over a baking sheet, in an area roughly 8 by 10 inches (20 by 25 cm). Scrape the marshmallow mixture from the mixer bowl and the beaters and spread it over the sugar-dusted area of the baking sheet so that it is about ½ inch (2 cm) thick. Very lightly dampening the spatula makes it easier to spread. Let stand, uncovered, for at least 2 hours.

Put about a cup (120 g) of confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and dust a pair of kitchen shears with the sugar. Working in batches, snip the marshmallow into strips, then dust the strips with some confectioners’ sugar. Cut the strips into little pieces, dropping them directly into the confectioners’ sugar as you cut. Once you’re halfway through, toss the marshmallows with the confectioners’ sugar to coat them, and then place them in a sieve and shake off the excess sugar. Set the marshmallows to dry in an even layer on a baking sheet. Continue until all the marshmallows are cut, adding more confectioners’ sugar as needed.

MIXING THEM IN: Fold the marshmallows into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Marshmallows will keep for up to 1 week. Once dry, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Candied Lemon Slices

When I was at culinary school in France, my instructor advised adding a bit of salt when candying citrus peel. When I asked why, he said that for some reason it made the peel soften, but he couldn’t explain why. So although it may be just a culinary superstition, I’ve added salt ever since. If you aren’t superstitious, simply toss the salt over your shoulder and candy the lemons without it.

Although it’s not required equipment, a candy thermometer will show you when the lemon slices are done. Fit the saucepan with the thermometer before starting. When the peel is candied, it should read 225°F (107°C).

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 QUART (1 LITER) OF ICE CREAM

3 lemons, preferably unsprayed

1 cup (250 ml) water

1½ cups (300 g) sugar

Big pinch of salt

Cut the lemons crosswise into very thin slices. Pick out and discard any seeds.

Put the lemon slices in a heavy-duty, nonreactive saucepan and add enough water to cover them by a few inches. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a low boil, and cook for 15 minutes, turning the slices with a spoon occasionally.

Drain the lemon slices, return them to the saucepan, add more water, and blanch them again for 15 minutes.

Drain the lemon slices again. Return them to the saucepan and add the 1 cup (250 ml) water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to reduce to a very low boil and cook for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrup.

If the syrup is too frothy to gauge whether the slices are done, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a moment. The lemons should be translucent and the syrup should be thick and shiny. Remove from the heat and let the lemon slices cool in their syrup.

MIXING THEM IN: Place the Candied Lemon Slices in a strainer and drain off as much of the syrup as possible. Chop the lemon slices into small pieces, then fold them into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Candied Lemon Slices will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

VARIATION: To make Candied Orange Slices, substitute 2 oranges for the lemons.

Candied Cherries

This is a terrific recipe for preserving fresh cherries during their relatively short season. As they cook, their ruby red juices gush out and continue to deepen in color until they thicken to a flavorful syrup. Before folding them into ice cream, you’ll want to make sure they’re dry, since the liquid will muddy the ice cream. Drain the cherries in a strainer for at least 1 hour first, until they are sticky and dry (save the syrup for drizzling over ice cream). Then coarsely chop the cherries, or fold them into the ice cream whole as you remove it from the machine. Candied cherries are excellent on top of Lemon Sherbet or Olive Oil Ice Cream, and on any homemade ice cream sundae you make as well.

MAKES 2 CUPS (650 G)

1 pound (450 g) cherries, fresh or frozen

1½ cups (375 ml) water

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 drop almond extract

Remove the stems and pit the cherries. Heat the cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large, nonreactive saucepan or skillet until the liquid starts to boil.

Turn down the heat to a low boil and cook the cherries for 25 minutes, stirring frequently during the last 10 minutes of cooking to make sure they are cooking evenly and not sticking.

Once the syrup is reduced to the consistency of maple syrup, remove the pan from the heat, add the almond extract, and let the cherries cool in their syrup.

MIXING THEM IN: Drain the cherries in a strainer for about 1 hour (reserve the syrup for another use). Coarsely chop the drained cherries and fold them into 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream as you remove it from the machine.

STORAGE: Candied Cherries can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.