Hi. My name is Meg and I’m married to an icecreamaholic.

So, here’s the thing. I grew up in a household that regularly consumed ice cream or frozen yogurt after dinner. In college, I ate froyo, usually topped with Golden Grahams, from the self-serve machine just about daily.  Then, somehow, ice cream became seasonal. I really only craved ice cream when it was hot outside. I guess that’s what happens when your dad no longer does your grocery shopping and you stop eating in school cafeterias.

Then along came Heather. That girl would voluntarily walk uphill both ways in the snow to fetch some ice cream. I simultaneously blame and thank her for my reintroduction to regular ice cream consumption. And now I’m here to share that addiction gift with you. I’m sorry and you’re welcome.

This Christmas, we received this spiffy little Cuisinart ice cream maker.

We had done some extensive research on this gift. And by extensive research, I mean I asked the only person I know who loves homemade ice cream more than Heather. Our friend, Lindsey, is a master ice cream maker. It’s true. She infuses her ice cream with things like cucumber and lavender and poppy seeds (not necessarily together). Lindsey recommended this ice cream maker because “while it’s not the fanciest maker on the market, it is by far the best quality ice cream for the cost. It also has the best combination of dasher speed and shape, in my opinion.” I still don’t really know what a dasher is, but that’s what Lindsey’s for.

Maybe this thing is a dasher? Probably not.

Of course, as many of you know, you do not need a fancy machine to make ice cream. But it does make things easier.

A few months ago, we made our inaugural batch of ice cream: Coffee Oreo, dedicated and delivered to Heather’s brother for his birthday. Coffee Oreo is Josh’s favorite flavor and we used to regularly bring him a pint from Three Sisters, our favorite ice cream shop in Providence. It went exceedingly well. The birthday boy was quite pleased and this was, perhaps, our best batch of homemade ice cream yet. Here goes!

Coffee Oreo Ice Cream – inspired by Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian 

• 1/2 cup freshly ground coffee
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch
• snack size package of Oreos (6), crushed and frozen

Method:

1. Put one cup of the milk in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat until it steams. Do not overheat.
2. Place the coffee grounds in the French Press. When the milk is almost boiling, remove from the stove and pour into the French Press. Let it steep for 20 minutes, then press down the French Press plunger.
3. Pour the hot coffee milk into a large bowl and add the remaining cold milk and cream. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch, until well combined. Let cool and then refrigerate for a few hours (we left it in there overnight).
4. Freeze (and add in frozen Oreos) in your ice cream maker, according to the directions.

I saw those raised eyebrows when you read the word “cornstarch.” Yes, ice cream recipes usually include egg yolks, which slow the crystallization process and give it a smooth, custard-like texture. Turns out, cornstarch does just about the same thing, with a lot less fat. Awesome. Because that cream + milk combination isn’t fattening at all.

Watching milk be transformed into ice cream feels like a magic trick. I stood over the machine with a goofy grin on my face, amazed at the process. There may have been clapping. And not only was it an awesome experience, it tasted as good (if not better) than any non-Lindsey homemade ice cream I’ve eaten. Because there are no eggs in the recipe and because the coffee steeps for 20 minutes(!), the coffee flavor really stands out, so be prepared. The Oreos stayed nice and crunchy, although we pretty much ate the whole thing in one night.

Heather had done most of the recipe research and we wound up pulling from a few other online sources in addition to Bittman. So, our directions vary quite a bit from his. I’m not sure that this is *the* perfect recipe, but damn was it an awesome first batch! I guess we’ll just have to keep experimenting…

Enjoy!