Wednesday's Food Tip: Another "Gotta Have" Kitchen Gadget

Okay. So this is really more of an appliance than a mere gadget. It’s an ice cream maker with a sleek and attractive stainless steel housing from VillaWare. Mine was a birthday present earlier this month. I’ve been experimenting with different ice creams ever since and I think this is another kitchen gadget most cooks just "gotta have."



One of the things I particularly like about this model is the insulated ingredient bowl that I pop into the freezer a few hours before I start the ice cream. It really cuts down on the time it takes to turn ingredients like heavy cream, sugar, and flavorings into luscious frozen treats. In only about 25 minutes I can have 1 quart of sherbet, sorbet, ice cream, or gelato prepared, frozen, and ready to serve. I just fill the ingredient bowl with the combined ingredients, slip on the clear plastic cover (with mixing paddle), and turn on the machine. No need for messy ice and salt, and hand cranking these days!

Here’s a recipe that came with the ice cream maker. I’ve made this a couple of times already and served it with various toppings. The first time I made hot fudge sauce. The other evening I topped it with an orange cream liqueur I got in Spain. Yum!

PHILADELPHIA STYLE VANILLA ICE CREAM

1 c. heavy cream
2 c. half-and-half
Seeds from a vanilla bean (or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract)
2/3 c. sugar
dash salt

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor until sugar dissolves. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to freeze. Pour into ice cream maker and follow the instructions for freezing.

You can find the VillaWare ice cream maker at Target stores or order one from Amazon.com.