Rose's Ice Cream Bliss

January 20, 2020
“The sweet that I love most to eat is frozen, not baked... and that is why I have written this book,” writes Beranbaum (The Cake Bible) in this thoroughly satisfying volume. In addition to basic ice cream flavors, she provides recipes for unique ones such as dark brown sugar with black pepper, royal velvet lavender, and even Thai corn. Her instructions are detailed and easy to follow, and she incorporates plenty of indispensable tips and tricks: for instance, she explains the importance of glucose in ice cream recipes (to diminish ice crystals) and provides a simple hack for it: microwaving corn syrup. In other instances, when flavor ingredients are higher in moisture content, such as peach or mango, she recommends adding cornstarch to minimize crystallization. The final chapter contains recipes for add-ins and toppings, such as candied orange peel, chocolate cold snap topping (she recommends using coconut oil to create the hard shell coating), and fudgy chocolate sandwich cookies (she likes to pair them with cherry vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut ice cream). Serious ice cream makers will want to add this to the shelf.

Starred review from May 1, 2020
Of all the world's sweet treats, ice cream arguably ranks first. Who better than the reigning monarch of baking, Beranbaum (The Cake Bible, 1988), to pivot from a hot oven to an ice-cold freezer and share her always-thorough and ever-enticing encyclopedic grasp of home ice cream making? Beranbaum has tested dozens of ice cream flavors, and she carefully presents recipes to recreate each of them. Ice cream making relies on some basic physics and chemistry to be successful, and Beranbaum spells out exactly what to expect. The finest components yield the best results, so the author does not hesitate to commend specific brands of ingredients and equipment. She carefully instructs how to extract maximum flavors from fruits. Those who have never tried Turkish ice cream will want to explore its unique stretchy texture. Beranbaum supplements these ice creams with a few recipes for toppings, ice cream cake rolls, and ice cream sandwiches. Matthew Septimus' color photographs illustrate steps in the creation of each flavor as well as finished products. This is a key part of any dessert cookbook collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020

Throughout her career, IACP and James Beard award-winning Beranbaum (The Cake Bible) has published a few ice cream recipes, but here she devotes an entire book to her favorite sweet. She focuses on custard-style recipes, but makes them slightly less laborious with a streamlined method that forgoes tempering eggs. Included are recipes for toppings and add-ins, as well as for desserts that pair well with, or feature, ice cream. Beranbaum combines passionate descriptions of flavors with her signature, clear format (tables listing ingredients in both weight and volume followed by enumerated instructions), explaining succinctly the process of making ice cream and recommending equipment. For icier, lower-fat treats, in addition to custardy desserts, try David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. VERDICT Beranbaum's fun guide is sure to satisfy one's craving for homemade, machine-churned, custard-style ice cream. A treat for culinary collections.--Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee

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