FOREWORD
CONTAINING GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR ALL RECIPES
In this book, Philadelphia Ice Creams, comprising the first group, are very palatable, but expensive. In many parts of the country it is quite difficult to get good cream. For that reason, I have given a group of creams, using part milk and part cream, but it must be remembered that it takes smart "juggling" to make ice cream from milk. By far better use condensed milk, with enough water or milk to rinse out the cans.
Ordinary fruit creams may be made with condensed milk at a cost of about fifteen cents a quart, which, of course, is cheaper than ordinary milk and cream.
In places where neither cream nor condensed milk can be purchased, a fair ice cream is made by adding two tablespoonfuls of olive oil to each quart of milk. The cream for Philadelphia Ice Cream should be rather rich, but not double cream.
If pure raw cream is stirred rapidly, it swells and becomes frothy, like the beaten whites of eggs, and is "whipped cream." To prevent this in making Philadelphia Ice Cream, one-half the cream is scalded, and when it is _very_ cold, the remaining half of raw cream is added. This gives the smooth, light and rich consistency which makes these creams so different from others.
USE OF FRUITS
Use fresh fruits in the summer and the best canned unsweetened fruits in the winter. If sweetened fruits must be used, cut down the given quantity of sugar. Where acid fruits are used, they should be added to the cream after it is partly frozen.
TIME FOR FREEZING
The time for freezing varies according to the quality of cream or milk or water; water ices require a longer time than ice creams. It is not well to freeze the mixtures too rapidly; they are apt to be coarse, not smooth, and if they are churned before the mixture is icy cold they will be greasy or "buttery."
The average time for freezing two quarts of cream should be ten minutes; it takes but a minute or two longer for larger quantities.
DIRECTIONS FOR FREEZING
Pound the ice in a large bag with a mallet, or use an ordinary ice shaver. The finer the ice, the less time it takes to freeze the cream. A four quart freezer will require ten pounds of ice, and a quart and a pint of coarse rock salt. You may pack the freezer with a layer of ice three inches thick, then a layer of salt one inch thick, or mix the ice and salt in the tub and shovel it around the freezer. Before beginning to pack the freezer, turn the crank to see that all the machinery is in working order. Then open the can and turn in the mixture that is to be frozen. Turn the crank slowly and steadily until the mixture begins to freeze, then more rapidly until it is completely frozen. If the freezer is properly packed, it will take fifteen minutes to freeze the mixture. Philadelphia Ice Creams are not good if frozen too quickly.
TO REPACK
After the cream is frozen, wipe off the lid of the can and remove the crank; take off the lid, being very careful not to allow any salt to fall into the can. Remove the dasher and scrape it off. Take a large knife or steel spatula, scrape the cream from the sides of the can, work and pack it down until it is perfectly smooth. Put the lid back on the can, and put a cork in the hole from which the dasher was taken. Draw off the water, repack, and cover the whole with a piece of brown paper; throw over a heavy bag or a bit of burlap, and stand aside for one or two hours to ripen.