Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
by Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield, Nancy Stevens
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Book Reviews of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Book Review: Ended my quest for the perfect ice cream
Summary: 5 Stars
I had memories of homemade icecream perfection from my childhood. However, I never could quite copy the taste no matter how many recipes I tried. I literally printed out volumes of variations, called my parents to ask if they remembered how it was made, looked in other cookbooks...still, there was something missing. I ordered this book after seeing some great reviews on Amazon figuring that at least I'd have some cool flavors if I couldn't get the base exactly as I had remembered...and I frankly began doubting my memories.
SHAZAM! They have several recipes for a vanilla that you can use as your base. You can choose which style you like so you don't have to use this one if you prefer another kind, they give you options...but their main one was IT!!! I wasn't the only one who noticed the difference...as soon as I made it it got the highest accolades of any batch we'd made in the past.
That, added to their chocolate malted recipe (we use malt powder, not Ovaltine. They say to use either.) created nirvana. In fact, we have gotten through many of the recipes but that one winds up being made the most, with or without the chocolate chips.
The best thing about the book is it also goes into the whole science behind ice cream and what makes the tastes different based upon the ingredients you use, amount of butterfat in cream vs. milk and how it changes the texture, changes based on the amount of whipping in the ice cream maker etc.
This has recipes from some of their faves but also some original ideas as well. Unique tastes but truly mastering the art of the ice cream!
Note: eliminating dairy or fat? These can be easily adapted to use with soy milk...non fat or regular too!
Book Review: Best Recipe Book EVER !!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have bought several ice cream books, but this is the ONLY one I can recommend. The recipes are EXCELLENT! I am ordering another since mine is already dog-eared and I've only had it a month. One suggestion if you make the orange cream recipe - use at least double the orange juice stated in the recipe (half a can of frozen concentrate - thawed, of course, and not the small size can). I just tasted the mix to make sure it was the strength I wanted. I've noticed that after this is made and frozen, it doesn't taste as strong as it did before you put it into the machine. I've made this particular recipe 3 times and will continue making it !! It beats any creamsicle you've ever had. And the French Vanilla and Mocha (and regular Coffee) are to die for! The mocha came out the texture of gelato - what a dream ! I haven't managed to try all the recipes yet, but the 10 or so I've tried have turned out perfectly. I am now making it once or twice a week for my co-workers because it is too good not to share! This book has also given me enough information to experiment with recipes of my own. I just can't say enough about this book. And as a previous reviewer states, there should be a sequel - if they are willing to give up more of their recipes. And I wish they would add a recipe for chocolate ice cream using only cocoa powder (I'm too lazy to melt the chocolate squares). Based on their recipes, I strongly recommend using a 1 and 1/2 quart capacity machine, rather than the 1 quart, since when mixes are frozen, they tend to expand due to "whipping" the cream. Air is beaten into the ice cream by the machine, causing the expansion. I noticed that many of the recipes indicate the yield is a "generous quart" and they are not kidding!Book Review: A Smooth & Creamy Read
Summary: 4 Stars
I've recently started making homemade ice cream, and trust me, using this book your culinary experiments will turn out way better tasting (and possibly better for you) than the commercial kind you can get down the street.
When you buy ice cream from the supermarket, a lot of the time you're buying plenty of air that whips into the final batch and bolsters the volume of that pint that looks yummy from the picture on the carton but ends up tasting like cold lint from your dryer vent. When you make it yourself you control the ingredients down to your favorite chocolate or the freshest peaches. And who better to take recipe advise from than the kings of ice cream making?
Most of Ben & Jerry's most famous flavors have their secrets deliciously divulged in this book along with anecdotes from the duo and explanations as to why you shouldn't skip ingredients. The newer flavors, like my favorites Phish Food and Americone Dreams, are sadly missing since they've only been created since this was published. But there are still loads of recipes and plenty of variations.
This book had everything from how to make your own hot fudge sauce, to the possibilities of beer sorbet, to the intricacies of blending your own New York Super Fudge Chunk. However, if you want that mint chocolate chip to LOOK like theirs...don't forget to add a few drops of food coloring. That little detail is overlooked in all the recipes and lets face it, if we're going to the effort of churning our own ice cream we want it to not only taste like the pints we idolize we want it to look authentic as well.
Book Review: Great Primer on Ice Cream
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is inspirational and informative, in a chatty, casual style that, while it makes the book fun to read, can sometimes lean toward too casual for my tastes. So I will tell you upfront the one gripe I have with the Ben & Jerry's book: it is vague about a topic I think is very important: cooking of ingredients. In particular, there are three basic "sweet cream" recipes (pg 28-9) in the book. The first describes a cream that uses eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, mixed together in a bowl. In the second recipe, however, Ben & Jerry point out that this number 2 recipe is easy because it doesn't involve any cooking, and sort of imply that also because of the lack of cooking (and/or the lack of eggs), the 2nd recipe won't last long in the freezer. So okay, did the first recipe involve cooking and we forgot to mention it? Or do none of the recipes involve cooking, and do we then assume that none of them will last long in the freezer? The authors have introduced a smoking gun in act two, when nothing was fired onstage in act one.
That said, I still really like this book for the discussion of basic ice cream properties. In fact, I wish that discussion went into a little more detail. (Maybe I really need the Harold McGee ice cream book, if there was such a thing). And if you like crazy, wild, and inspiring ice cream recipes, Ben & Jerry are famous for them for a reason, and you will find those recipes in abundance here.
So overall, I give this book a high rating for its basic info content and its wild ice cream chemistry tips and techniques, but a star off for some vagueness.
Book Review: Beautiful and delicious
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite Ice Cream book so far! Imagine the cartons of Ben and Jerry's ice cream art on the pages on this book! Bright, colorful, cute, cozy and funny!
The book starts off with the general history of how the guys came together to bring us what we today know as Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
They give you a few easy ice cream bases to follow, giving you a choice of how creamy and rich you want it to a less filling and figure friendly versions.
Ok, here's the best part; you can make most of the recipes using one of the base recipes, and then pick your favorite page, and drop designated ingredients in. It gives me a great opportunity to customize their crazy concoctions!
Tonight I made two recipes from the book, pumpkin ice cream and plum ice cream, but managed to change them easy into Pumpkin with toasted Hazelnuts and Plum, walnut and shaved chocolate ice cream. Their recipes are fool proof, fun and come out fantastic. Besides you can add whatever combinations your heart desires, you won't find that option at any store!
Some of my favorite recipes from the book are; pumpkin ice cream, plum, kiwi, Banana fudge chunk, strawberry coconut, Fresh coffee, Maple walnut, cantaloupe and many more I can't wait to try out. In the end sections they also have recipes for sorbets, cookies, brownies and sauces, with ideas how to arrange the whole thing into a mouth watering creation.
Great book, not expensive and trust me, looking at the recipes will get you into that kitchen weather you have an ice cream maker or not!