Tips for Special Diets

In recent years, thanks to advances in medical science and the population’s desire for better health, many new diets have become wildly popular. Whether an allergen has been isolated (such as nuts) or an intolerance detected (such as dairy), many consumers are finding themselves in a quandary about how to prepare and enjoy the foods they used to love. The same holds true for those who have opted for a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Included in this book are two chapters dedicated specifically to vegan and sugar-free readers.

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Ice Cream Ingredients for Sucess

When it comes to frozen desserts, what you put into it is what you get out of it. The better ingredients you use, the better your result will be, so use the best quality ingredients you can. Your efforts will be rewarded in fantastic flavor!

Fresh Fruit and Berries
If the recipe calls for fresh fruit, please think twice before substituting canned or frozen; the results will not be the same. For berries, purchase locally (or pick your own, if you can) for the most flavorful results; in season is best, and backyard is better. Shopping at a farmer’s market is a wonderful way to support your local community, as well as to ensure that you get the tastiest and ripest fruit available.

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Tools and Techniques Ice Cream

With the exception of granita, every ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, gelato, and frozen yogurt found throughout this book requires the use of special equipment. An ice cream machine, whether hand-cranked, self-cooling, or requiring prefreezing of canisters, is a staple in the production of these frozen concoctions. You will also find it handy to have a few other products, from mixers to whisks to baking pans, to make the process a little bit easier.

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Ice Cream Varieties and Other Frozen Desserts

There’s no denying that frozen desserts are a popular and well-loved treat: Supermarket
freezer sections have dedicated more and more valuable space to these concoctions over the years due to consumer demand. Everything from the standard vanilla ice cream to rainbow sherbets to Italian ice and freezer pops are purchased every day in mass quantities. While these store-bought options are certainly convenient, they simply pale   in comparison to the quality of home-produced alternatives that can be made from the freshest ingredients with no added chemicals. Not only will these homemade versions be healthier, they will also taste vastly better than store-bought ice  cream.

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History of Ice Cream

The history of ice cream is one consisting of legend, myth,  and handed-down  stories based on some fact, some fiction, and a lot of debate. Many historians believe that ice cream dates back to thousands of centuries B.C. in ancient China, when snow was the major factor in freezing creams. Over the years, ice cream made its way to Europe; Marco Polo (1254–1324) is usually credited with bringing the concept to Italy after his travels to the Orient. From there, ice cream spread north into France (Catherine  de Medici is often cited as the person behind the spread from Italy to France), to Britain,  and finally, to the United States.

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