RECIPES

These recipes, adapted by Four Seas Ice Cream owner Richard Warren for his 2006 book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Homemade Ice Cream, closely resemble some of the signature flavors made at Four Seas. Though commercial amounts of ice cream at Four Seas are made with mixes that contain cream and sugar already, the mixtures below are as similar as possible to the ingredients used at Four Seas, just reduced in scope to match the capacity of most homemade ice cream makers.

Make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment on hand before starting to make the following ice cream recipes. If your ice cream maker requires ice and rock salt, make sure to have the required amount of crushed ice, usually about ten to twelve pounds, and up to five cups of rock salt. Remember that you’ll need to keep adding ice and rock salt as the ice melts.

Also, if you’re using an ice cream maker that requires pre-freezing of the container, make sure to do that prior to getting ready to make ice cream. It usually requires about twelve hours in the freezer.

You also may want to use a blender or food processor to create the purées required in the fruit flavors and many of the more unique flavors, such as avocado or tomato. And remember: fresh fruit ice creams are much better with the ripest fruits you can find, preferably when they’re in season.

SIMPLE VANILLA ICE CREAM

(makes 2 quarts)

5½ cups heavy cream

1¼ cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract together until well blended. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in your refrigerator. Transfer cold mixture into your ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

THE KENNEDYS’ FAVORITE FRESH PEACH ICE CREAM

(makes about 2 quarts)

2 tbsp. gelatin (2 oz.)

½ cup warm water

12 large, sweet, ripe peaches (to make 2 pints purée)

1½ cups table sugar

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

Place gelatin in warm water and allow to sit until completely dissolved (about 10 to 15 minutes). Wash, pit and cut up peaches, but don’t peel. In a blender, purée peaches, sugar, gelatin and milk until smooth. Combine puréed mixture with heavy cream and mix well. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in your refrigerator. Transfer cold mixture to the ice cream freezer and follow your manufacturer’s directions.

CANTALOUPE ICE CREAM

(makes about 2 quarts)

1 large very ripe cantaloupe (to make 1 to 1½ pints purée)

2 egg yolks

½ cup table sugar

1 cup whole milk

3 cups whipping cream

Peel cantaloupe and purée in a blender. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. In a double boiler over medium heat, combine egg mixture and milk. Cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator. When mixture is cool, add cantaloupe and whipping cream to egg mixture and mix well. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in the refrigerator. Transfer cold mixture to your ice cream freezer and follow manufacturer’s directions.

COFFEE ICE CREAM

(makes 2 quarts)

3 tbsp. instant coffee

1½ cups table sugar

7 cups light cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, dissolve instant coffee and sugar in 3 cups light cream (do not boil). When mixture is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool in the refrigerator. Add vanilla extract and remaining light cream to coffee mixture and mix well. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in your refrigerator. Place cold mixture into the ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

BROWN SUGAR PECAN ICE CREAM (CALLED PENUCHE PECAN AT FOUR SEAS)

(makes 2 quarts)

3 egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

2 tbsp. butter

2 cups light brown sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups light cream

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, combine egg yolks with one cup milk and cook until mixture reaches 160 degrees F and coats the back of a spoon. When cooked, remove from heat and place in an ice water bath. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together. Continue to cook over medium heat for one minute. The brown sugar will begin to darken. Remove from heat and slowly pour in remaining milk. If needed, return mixture to heat to incorporate milk, but do not boil. Cool until mixture is just barely warm. In a mixing bowl, combine egg mixture with brown sugar mixture, whipping cream, light cream and vanilla extract. Mix well. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in your refrigerator. Place cold mixture into the ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. If using pecans, add them just before ice cream is ready to be removed from the ice cream freezer.

LEMON SORBET

(makes 2 quarts)

2 cups table sugar (or to taste)

1 cup water

10–15 lemons (or 4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice)

3 tbsp. lemon zest

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar water. Mix well. Cool mixture to 40 degrees F in your refrigerator. Place cold mixture into the ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions for making sorbet.

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

(makes about 1½ cups)

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup table sugar

½ cup whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a double boiler over low heat, melt unsweetened chocolate with butter, stirring occasionally. Keep in the double boiler. In a mixing bowl, mix together cocoa and sugar. Stir in whipping cream and mix well. Add cocoa/sugar mixture to melted chocolate mixture. Cook over low heat until sugar and cocoa are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly. After chocolate has cooled for about 5 minutes, stir in vanilla. Mixture can be served hot or refrigerated for later use.