Frozen Desserts
Ice cream and its frozen relatives are among the most popular desserts which grace the American table, and are probably the most typically American of all foods with the possible exception of pie.
It is difficult to classify frozen desserts because there is very little uniformity in the ingredients used in products called by the various names, however, a general classification that will help to differentiate between the various desserts is as follow:
Ice Cream: Plain or Philadelphia ice cream is a mixture of thin cream, a sweetener and flavorings that is stirred while frozen and may or may not have some type of binder added, such as gelatin, eggs, etc.
New York or French ice cream has enough egg yolks added to give the ice cream a definite yellow color.
Custard ice cream has a base of whole egg and milk that may be cooked or uncooked.
Regular ice cream contains either flour, cornstarch or gelatin as the thickening and may contain egg in a smaller proportion than the New York type.
Unstirred ice cream (made in the mechanical refrigerator) usually contains richer cream and a relatively large amount of some binder or stabilizer.
Ices: An ice consists of sweetened fruit juice or purée that is usually diluted with water and may contain beaten egg white.
Sherbets: A sherbet is sweetened fruit juice or purée that is usually diluted with milk instead of water and may contain beaten egg white.
Mousse: A mousse contains sweetened, flavored whipped cream that is molded and frozen without stirring.
Frappe: A Frappe is the same as an ice except that it is frozen only to a mush.
Frozen desserts are simply frozen liquids with various substances added for flavor, texture, and color. As water freezes, it becomes a solid hard block of ice that is too hard to spoon into. If the water is stirred as it is frozen, it will have a milky appearance due to the tiny air bubbles that are frozen into its interior and a slightly less solid consistency, although it will still be too hard to be spooned out. The addition of sugar lowers the freezing point of the water sufficiently that the frozen mass will not be solid and will be the consistency of the frozen dessert know as an ice. In fact, the true ice is simply a sweetened fruit juice that is diluted with water and frozen with continual stirring.
The ice crystals in an ice are still fairly large, and on standing these crystals grow to form still larger ones. If particles of fat (as in milk or cream), or egg (either white or yolk or both), gelatin or starch (flour or cornstarch) is added to the mixture, these particles keep the frozen dessert creamy and smooth-textured and give it enough body so that it does not thaw immediately when taken from the freezer. All of these added ingredients are known as binders, stabilizers or interfering substances. They also add viscosity to the original liquid and make it possible to beat more air into the mixture, which gives a lighter, fluffier dessert, a creamier texture and a greater volume. This usually makes a very rich dessert. This increases the volume known as overrun.
Very satisfactory desserts can be made without stirring, but the proportion of interfering substances must necessarily be high. This usually makes a very rich dessert. If too rich a cream is added, the consistency has an unpleasant cloying tendency that is not enjoyable, so it is better to use a cream of medium fat content and to add other substances such as eggs or gelatin.
The ingredients added to frozen desserts must always be of the highest quality. Freezing will never improve the flavor of a rancid nut, or overripe pieces of fruit, or old milk and cream. It is poor economy to spoil the flavor of a whole freezer of ice cream by trying to salvage a cup of overripe berries.
ICE CREAMS
Directions for Freezing Ice Cream
About 5 lb. (4 qt.) of chipped ice and 1 – 1/3 cups coarse salt will be needed for freezing ice cream in a 2-quart freezer that much additional salt and ice will be needed if the ice cream is to be packed in the freezer to ripen. This portion is about 12 cups finely chopped ice to each cup of coarse salt.
Pour boiling water over the cream can and the beater of the freezer; drain and set aside to cool.
Any mixture should be thoroughly chilled before it is poured into cream can for freezing. Fit the dasher and can into place before pouring in the chilled ice cream mixture. Pour in ice cream mixture, then fit lid and crank into place. If the parts are fitted together correctly, the crank will turn freely and the dasher as well as the can will resolve when crank is turned. Pack a layer of ice and a layer of salt around can, packing down firmly with a wooden spoon. Turn crank several times during packing so ice doesn’t pack to hard. Continue layers of ice and salt turning crank occasionally until ice chamber over the top of cream can is filled. Turn the crank slowly (about 40 revolutions per minute.) for the first three minutes, and then turn rapidly until it is very difficult to turn. For best results the turning must be continuous.
When the cream is frozen, clear away the salt and ice to about 1 inch below the lid of the cream can. Wipe the lid carefully to remove all ice and salt, take the lid off. Take out the beater and crape clean. The cream may be transferred to freezing tray of mechanical refrigerator or left in the cream can to “ripen” for a few hours before serving. If left in the can, push ice cream gently down into can, replace the lid and fit it with a cork or pack cover to keep brine from seeping in. Drain the water from the ice chamber. Repack paper and damp cloth and put in a cool place to ripen, not longer than 2 or 3 hours. If packed in refrigerator trays, pack down gently and cover with a sheet or two of heavy waxed paper. Return quickly to freezing compartment to ripen.
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