Yes, occasionally we try to have our cake (er...ice cream) and eat it too by making a low-sugar, low-fat ice cream. Our biggest problem with these recipes is actually not so much the flavor but rather the fact that the ice cream usually ends up rock hard and full of ice crystals. Not so appealing.
Besides making ice cream taste rich and delicious, sugar, egg yolks, and full-fat cream all help make ice cream creamy and soft by interfering with the formation of ice crystals. When we reduce the presence of these ingredients, the ice cream will freeze more solidly and with bigger ice crystals.
But there's hope!
1. Churn Low-Sugar Ice Cream for Longer - An extra few minutes will help break larger ice crystals into smaller pieces, giving the ice cream a smoother texture.
2. Use Cornstarch in the Base - Just a tablespoon or so of cornstarch will help thicken the ice cream base without adding extra fat, and the resulting ice cream will still taste creamy. Artisan ice cream maker Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream actually prefers using cornstarch instead of yolks in all her ice cream because she likes the cleaner flavor. And her method is so simple!
3. Add Some Booze - Alcohol won't freeze, so it can help keep low-sugar ice creams from getting too hard. Ice cream guru David Lebovitz recommends no more than three tablespoons of 40-proof liquor per quart of ice cream base. He also recommends using vodka if you don't want to interfere with the ice cream's flavors, but other liquors like Grand Marnier and kirsch can be fun to play with, too!
Do you have any other advice for better low-sugar, low-fat ice cream?
Related: Customized Ice Cream: 5 Tips for Creating Your Own Ice Cream Flavor
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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I've started using arrow root powder for my puddings, so I am wondering if it could serve the same purpose here.
Still trying to perfect the technique and amount to add.
I was impatient the last time I made a batch and I think added too much, so it was a little thick (thinking back, I should have just added more milk!) Didn't matter too much, since they were for frozen pudding pops and are incredible.
The consistency (not frozen) is a little strange, but I like the texture and flavor of the finished product more than those I've made with cornstarch.
The recipes from _The Vegan Scoop_ all use arrowroot powder.
My MIL puts vodka or gin in all her ice-cream. It's all fine til the grandkids come to stay and are disappointed when Granny can't let them have the special ice-cream she promised them because they all have booze in them!
I put booze in all my ice creams -- about 1 tablespoon per quart of ice cream produced. There's no after taste -- though I use gin or vodka, and I suppose you can experiment with tequila and other more richly flavored liquors to enhance the flavor of the ice cream -- and there's not enough alcohol for any fun effects. (if there were, the ice cream wouldn't be frozen at all; a slush would be as much as you would get.) So JMD, odds are your MIL's ice cream is just fine for kids...
I have been using Whey-Lo, a sugar substitute for diabetics. It has a glycemic index about 20% of table sugar, and the manufacturer produces a version of Whey-Lo specifically for those of us who make homemade ice cream. I have substituted Whey-Lo in Jeni's recipes. the result so far are pretty good but not spectacular. Would enjoy other suggestions.