This popcorn ice cream recipe is from the book Hello, My Name is Ice Cream by Dana Cree, reproduced with permission from the publisher.
I love ice cream so much, but I don't make it very often, mostly because when the ice cream is done churning, sometimes I eat way more than I should straight from the freezer drum with a spoon. The instructions of the ice cream maker say not to do that, especially with metal utensils, yet I scrape away at it like it's my job. I have zero control when it comes to homemade ice cream, but this book was a good excuse to start churning again.
-
- Thermoworks DOT
-
- Thermoworks Thermapen
-
- Thermoworks ThermoPop
I'm claiming that I didn't buy the book Hello, My Name is Ice Cream (from Amazon) for the recipes but, of course, I had to try at least one of Dana Cree's ice creams. I "settled" on the popcorn ice cream recipe on page 92 because it's not an egg yolk-based ice cream like I am accustomed to making. So this recipe allowed me to try my hand at a different style of ice cream, an egg-less ice cream! Plus it's infused with buttery popcorn. Win win! I think the next ice cream I'll make will be pumpkin sage. Dana Cree even covers how to make your own pumpkin purée at home—see, this book covers much of what you need to make great ice cream at home!
Wanna buy a copy of the book? Head over to Amazon to get yours! It's a keeper! And then you can use your freshly churned ice cream to make homemade ice cream sandwiches and ice cream strawberry shortcakes! And for different ice cream flavours, you can make a batch of cherry bourbon ice cream, lemon custard ice cream, cardamom ice cream, or even spiced chai ice cream!
I used an old Krups La Glacière ice cream maker to churn this batch of popcorn ice cream, but it is no longer in production. Dana Cree (and many others) recommends this Cuisinart model that you can get on Amazon. If I had the budget, I'd probably invest in this Breville model (available on Amazon), which comes with a built in compressor so that you can avoid having to chill an ice cream drum for 24 hours. This machine chills itself!
If you want to learn more about making ice cream at home, check out this mega guide to how to make the best ice cream, with tips and tricks, and troubleshooting ideas if you run into problems along the way.
Please note that I have modified the directions of this recipe ever so slightly to attempt to make the use of the texture agents clearer.
Popcorn ice cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 370 g (2 cups) whipping cream (35 % fat) 37%
- 400 g (2 cups) milk (2 % fat) 40%
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar 15%
- 50 g (¼ cup) Wilton glucose 5%
- 10 g (1 tsp) Clarified butter 1%
- 20 g (2 tbsp) Raw popcorn kernels 2%
- ¾ tsp (¾ tsp) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- Texture agent of your choice I went with texture agent 3, which is tapioca starch—see notes below to know how much to use
Instructions
- Boil the dairy. Place the cream, milk, sugar, texture agent 1 if using (see notes below), and glucose in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium–high heat, and cook, whisking occasionally to discourage the milk from scorching, until it comes to a full rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue cooking for 2 minutes and add texture agent 4 if using (see notes below), then set the pot aside in a warm place and add texture agent 3 if using (see notes below).
- Pop the popcorn. Place the clarified butter and popcorn in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid and cook until you hear the sound of the corn popping. Use pot holders to take hold of the handle in one hand and the lid in the other. Gently shake and swirl the pot around, keeping the bottom flush with the burner, to encourage even popping and avoid burnt spots. Continue until the sound of popping corn has slowed to less than one pop per second. Immediately remove the popcorn from the heat.
- Infuse. Working quickly, remove the lid from the popcorn pot and pour the dairy into it. Stir the popcorn, watching it dissolve. Let the popcorn-dairy mixture cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Blend. Transfer the popcorn mixture to a blender. Add the salt and start blending on low speed at first, increasing gradually to full speed, to avoid the liquid’s jumping out of the blender cup. Continue blending for 1 to 2 minutes, until the ice cream base is very smooth.
- Chill. Transfer the base to a shallow metal or glass bowl. Working quickly, fill a large bowl two-thirds of the way with very icy ice water. Nest the hot bowl into this ice bath, stirring occasionally until it cools down and add texture agent 2 if using (see notes below).
- Strain. When the ice cream base is cool to the touch or a thermometer reads 50°F or below, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the bits of hull.
- Cure. Transfer the ice cream base to the refrigerator to cure for 4 hours, or preferably overnight. (This step is optional, but the texture will be much improved with it.)
- Churn. Place the base into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream is ready when it thickens into the texture of soft-serve ice cream and holds its shape, typically 20 to 30 minutes.
- Harden. To freeze your ice cream in the American hard-pack style, immediately transfer it to a container with an airtight lid. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming, cover, and store it in your freezer until it hardens completely, between 4 and 12 hours. Or, feel free to enjoy your ice cream immediately; the texture will be similar to soft-serve.
Notes
- Best texture Commercial stabilizer: 3g | 1 teaspoon mixed with the sugar before it is added to the ice cream base.
- Least icy: Guar or xanthan gum 1g | ¼ teaspoon whirled in a blender with the ice cream base after it is chilled in the ice bath.
- Easiest to use: Tapioca starch 5g | 2 teaspoons mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold milk, whisked into the ice cream base after it is finished cooking.
- Most accessible: Cornstarch 10g | 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold milk, whisked into the simmering ice cream base, then cooked for 1 minute.
Nutrition
Once you've churned a batch of popcorn ice cream
Please note that this post is a review of the cookbook Hello, My Name is Ice Cream by Dana Cree with a popcorn ice cream recipe from the book, reproduced with permission from the publisher. I purchased the book on Amazon and you can to here.
This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you buy a product I recommend on Amazon via the link, I will receive a small commission, and the price you have to pay will not change in any way.
Nancie says
Hello, my name is Nancie and I am a book hoarder. I bought Humphrey Slocombe's cookbook as soon as it came out. I still haven't tried any recipe in it. And yet, I'm dying to buy this new book you wrote about. 😉
Janice says
Oooh, you have the Humphrey Slocombe book? It's on my wish list. I love their Secret Breakfast ice cream. You have to make it!
I definitely recommend Hello, My Name is Ice Cream. It's a really informative book and a good reference if you like to make (and eat) frozen treats. I found it fascinating!
elodiesucree says
Miam!!! Fantastique j'adore !!! Bisous, bonne soirée ?
Janice says
Merci! C'est vraiment une saveur de glace très unique!