Best Review on Jenis Splendid Ice Creams Home
I'm lucky enough to live in Columbus, Ohio, so I can visit Jeni's anytime I want. But when I saw this on a food blog, I had to get it. I bought an ice cream maker last year, but like most of my kitchen gadgets, it went largely unused. I received my copy of the book last night and read most of it already.
I knew the first recipe I wanted to try was the Savannah Buttermint. It's a toss-up between this and Salty Caramel for my favorite ice cream, but the Salty Caramel seemed a bit more involved than I wanted to start with.
I was able to purchase all the ingredients at the grocery store for this recipe, since they are pretty common. For some of the more obscure things, there is a good source list in the back of the book on where you can find some of the hard to find flavorings and ingredients.
I just pulled the ice cream out of the ice cream maker and put it in the freezer, but not before licking off the spatula. Let me just say, the ice cream maker is now going to have to work overtime because the ice cream was amazing. Silky smooth and full of flavor. I am so glad that I was able to replicate the flavor at home that I am able to get at Jeni's.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to absolutely anybody that loves Jeni's ice cream, or any ice cream for that matter. Now I just need to work my way through the rest of the 100 recipes.
I'm lucky enough to live in Columbus, Ohio, so I can visit Jeni's anytime I want. But when I saw this on a food blog, I had to get it. I bought an ice cream maker last year, but like most of my kitchen gadgets, it went largely unused. I received my copy of the book last night and read most of it already.
BalasHapusI knew the first recipe I wanted to try was the Savannah Buttermint. It's a toss-up between this and Salty Caramel for my favorite ice cream, but the Salty Caramel seemed a bit more involved than I wanted to start with.
I was able to purchase all the ingredients at the grocery store for this recipe, since they are pretty common. For some of the more obscure things, there is a good source list in the back of the book on where you can find some of the hard to find flavorings and ingredients.
I just pulled the ice cream out of the ice cream maker and put it in the freezer, but not before licking off the spatula. Let me just say, the ice cream maker is now going to have to work overtime because the ice cream was amazing. Silky smooth and full of flavor. I am so glad that I was able to replicate the flavor at home that I am able to get at Jeni's.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to absolutely anybody that loves Jeni's ice cream, or any ice cream for that matter. Now I just need to work my way through the rest of the 100 recipes.
I consider this the best ice cream book on the market, and I've been making ice cream at home for almost ten years. The author, Jeni Britton Bauer, proprietor of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, made 75 versions of her ice cream base until she perfected it. Much of her introduction details the science of ice cream making. Eggless confections tend to be icy, but with custards the flavor of egg yolks often influences color and flavor. Her idea is to skip the eggs and to let the base flavors shine by utilizing milk proteins and corn starch to create a perfect texture.
BalasHapusThis all sounds a bit technical, but the final product isn't difficult to make and will be the best ice cream you've ever churned at home. I served her vanilla ice cream at a family gathering, and my brother-in-law requested a double batch for his birthday.
She starts off the book with strawberry ice cream, a flavor that I've found over the years nearly impossible to pull off at home because of iciness, tartness and even coloring issues. Her version is perfect: creamy but not too rich, deeply flavored with real strawberries, beautifully pink and still scoopable after a few days in the freezer.
But these are just the basics. The book includes such innovative flavors as Cherry Lambic Sorbet, Lemon Frozen Yogurt with Blueberry Swirl, Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches, Queen City Cayenne ("Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream), Riesling-Poached Pear Sorbet and Bangkok Peanut (Curried Peanut Ice Cream w/Coconut). While I've only churned the first two of these, I've tried the others at her scoop shops. All of them have been excellent. She also includes recipes for sundaes, toppings and cocktails. Her Disco Melon Fizz (using Watermelon Lemonade Sorbet as a base) gives mojitos a run for their money as a hot weather drink.
I look forward to delving further into the book.
As a former Columbus resident, I am a huge fan of Jeni's, to the point where my sister sent me 4 pints of ice cream as a Christmas present last year. I was excited when I heard about this book, but was somewhat skeptical as to whether I could recreate Jeni's fabulous ice cream at home, especially since I haven't had much luck making ice cream with other recipes. This is where the genius of Jeni's book comes in. Her instructions are so clear they're virtually foolproof, and she has tested the recipes multiple times in home ice cream makers. This is the first ice cream recipe I tried that actually fit my ice cream maker instead of making way too much. Also, while she created a bunch of new flavors for the book, she did not skimp on sharing the recipes for most (if not all) of the tried and true favorites from her ice cream shop. We made the Salty Caramel ice cream last night, which is a staple in her shops, and it was, hands down, the best ice cream I've ever made.
BalasHapusIn addition to the 100+ recipes she includes in the book, she also details the steps in a clear, concise manner, with base recipes for ice cream and frozen yogurt and encourages you to experiment at home with your own flavor ideas. I really feel that this book is more than just a recipe book, and more like a course in ice cream making, where you can learn the basic technique and are inspired to create your own flavors based on what is seasonal and tastes good to your palate.
I encourage you to buy this book, not just because I'm a fan of Jeni's, but because this is one of the best homemade ice cream books I've ever seen.
I loved the book and after only having it two weeks I've tried 4 different recipes. All are wonderful! My only complaint is not with the actual recipes but the small print for the ingredients. Some of the print is pale green in color. I never have problems reading with 1.0 readers (or no glasses) but reading these leaves me with a headache. I strain my eyes and sometimes still can't make out the print. I know the different color print with colors like ice cream is cute but once the font is reduced in size the green is almost impossible to read. Black or red print would worked for me.
BalasHapusJust like Jeni's actual ice cream, this book is thoughtfully created and presented. It's beautiful and inviting, readable and usable. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give ice cream making a try but has a palette beyond just vanilla and chocolate. Everything tastes amazing!
BalasHapusSince buying this book, I've tried four of Jeni's recipes: Goat Cheese and Roasted Cherries, Salty Caramel, Darkest Chocolate Ice Cream in the World, and Buckeye State. Perfect results with all of them! Just follow the recipe, and you really will get Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home.
BalasHapusBefore getting started, I'd recommend reading the first chapter of the book with Jeni's notes, tips, and explanation of the science behind making a great ice cream. As far as equipment goes, you'll need an electric ice cream machine (Jeni uses the Cuisinart Ice-20), whisk, 4-quart or larger pot, 2-3 mixing bowls, gallon size ziploc bags, ice cream storage container, parchment paper, and a big bowl for creating an ice bath. Other tools that comes in handy: a knife for chopping up larger ingredients, cherry pitter if you plan on making anything with cherries in it, digital kitchen scale, and double boiler for melting chocolate. You'll want an extra freezing canister if you plan on making more than one batch a day. For cooking the ice cream mixture, Jeni recommends a 4 quart pot, but I've been using a 6-quart stock pot and couldn't imagine anything smaller. When boiling your cream mixture, it could easily boil over, if your pot isn't big enough.
Basic Ice Cream Ingredients: you'll need heavy cream, whole milk, cornstarch or tapioca starch, sugar, salt, cream cheese, and light corn syrup/glucose syrup. Each recipe will also call for different additional ingredients like vanilla extract or beans, chocolate, natural peanut butter, spices, honey, nuts, liquor, etc. As with all cooking, the better the ingredients: the better the product. Buy organic ingredients and non-homogenized dairy products if you can, and splurge on the "good" chocolate...all this effort deserves the good chocolate!
Ice Cream Storage: I have tried three different storage methods. Reusable gladware/tupperware containers are ok, but I had a couple crack and shatter after freezing, leaving all the ice cream exposed to air. Specialty containers like the ones sold at designer kitchen supply stores are good, but I didn't want to spend $35 on a container, especially when I like to keep several flavors on hand. My favorite containers have been the disposable cardboard containers by Sweet Bliss. The Plain White Quart Size Frozen Dessert Containers fit one Jeni's recipe, or you can divide it between 2-3 Pint sized containers. Great for home storage and transporting (in an iced cooler).
It's been a blast to make all these great recipes, and I fully intend on cooking my way through this whole book! The recipes are well written and easy to follow. The photography is beautiful, and you get a good feel of what the finished ice cream is supposed to look like. Jeni lists her preferred suppliers if you want to use the exact same ingredients (I've found similar replacements at Whole Foods or the local farmers market).
One note: the "Salty Caramel" recipe has one small typo. The ingredient list calls for vanilla, but it's not listed in the recipe instructions. I added it at the end before mixing the cream mixture with the cream cheese mixture.
7/9/11 - One more note: there is another typo in The Milkiest Chocolate Ice Cream in the World recipe. It should read 1.25 cups of heavy cream instead of just 0.25 cups of heavy cream. I've heard that these typos will be fixed in the second edition which will be printing soon!