Ice cream!

Tom and I have been talking about getting an ice cream maker for about a year. But I always forget and don't look for one at the store. The other day I happened to see one while shopping, so I didn't have to remember to look for it!

Coincidentally, the cooking magazine that I subscribe to had a master recipe for ice cream, plus many ways to add flavorings. I tried to buy strawberries, but two stores I went to were out (!) so I settled for blackberries.

Then I worried that blackberry ice cream would be too boring, so I tried to come up with another flavor that would enhance the blackberries. I decided to try ginger (I steeped fresh ginger slices in the cooked milk, then added the pureed blackberries before putting the recipe in the ice cream maker).

Then we made ice cream! Lukas was very excited about turning the crank (the machine has a hand crank AND an electric motor...you can do one or the other), but I didn't think he would have the patience. He surprised us! He stuck with the whole churning (is that what you call it?) process for 40 minutes. Of course he didn't turn the crank for 40 minutes straight, but he and Tom took turns, and each time Lukas was rested from his last turn, he wanted another turn...I estimate that he churned the ice cream half of the time.

And how did it taste? Kathrin and I love, love, loved it. Tom couldn't taste anything but the ginger. Lukas asked if I wouldn't put ginger in when we make strawberry ice cream, but finished his serving. Natalie and Konrad both ate their fill of it.

I want to find a recipe that doesn't need to be cooked...I just want to throw the ingredients in the ice cream maker and go. But the first recipe we made was quite delicious, so we may find that the extra work involved in cooking it first makes a better ice cream.

But no ginger, since I do want other people to eat it!