The Big Chill: No-churn ice cream

By JJ Gonson - July 19, 2007

Homemade ice cream.... The words evoke images of children taking turns at the crank, while an apron-clad mom replenishes the cracked ice and salt crystals that surround the old barrel ice cream churner.

But it is a sweet surprise to know that making ice cream doesn’t have to be a chore, and even more surprisingly, doesn’t have to involve churning.

Ice cream is a frozen confection which contains enough air to keep the liquid base from freezing into a solid block. This is accomplished by freezing the liquid while it is in motion (churning), but it can also be done in other ways, without either the salt, ice, crank, or old barrel.

The first way is to follow an old Italian recipe called semifreddo ("half cold”). Semifreddo accomplishes the light and semi-frozen quality of ice cream by incorporating air during the making, then freezing. Being a cream-based confection, semifreddo is high in fat, like ice cream, and responds well to flavorings like chocolate, malt, nuts and fruits. Frozen in a loaf, like a terrine, it can be served sliced. Different flavors can be frozen into layers, which present beautifully when finished. Note, however, that although it is frozen, which is helpful in the destruction of bacteria, because the base of semifreddo is not heated, only very fresh eggs that have been kept well refrigerated should be used. Because of the uncooked egg content, it is not advisable to serve it to the very young, very old, or pregnant women.

Here is a very simple semifreddo base, which can be flavored to suit your wildest taste desires. If you are going to add heavy mix-in, like nuts or chocolate chips, allow the base to freeze for an hour before adding them so that they don’t sink to the bottom.

Semifreddo base

2 eggs separated
1 1/2 cold whipping cream
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Stiffly whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl. Stiffly whisk the cream in another bowl. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a third bowl, until pale and fluffy, then tenderly fold in the egg whites, followed by the whipped cream. Mix very gently, adding any flavors you like, and smooth into a mold or loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Freeze over night, turn out, and slice to serve.

The second churn-free dessert, also from Italy, is granita ("water ice”), which bears a similarity to sorbet, although not as smooth. The air is put in after the freezing is finished by raking the tines of a fork across the frozen surface. Like sorbet, granita is often used as a palate cleanser, and also like sorbet it is made with water, flavoring and sweetener, making it fat free and very refreshing.

As granita is often made from a fruit base, it is an excellent vehicle for the pickings of the day from the farm stands. Fresh berries, watermelon, pineapple, mango, and even a juice-heavy sangria are good choices. In Italy it is traditionally made with coffee and served with sweetened condensed milk.

More exotic recipes can include champagne or be flavored with fresh herbs, like thyme or basil. Best of all, it requires almost no equipment to make, save a shallow pan and a fork, which is perfect for the vacationing gourmet.

Mango, lime and orange granita
(You can use similar proportions with whatever you have available.)

If your fruit purée is thick, add some water. If it is tart, dissolve some sugar into water and make a simple syrup, allowing it to cool before adding to your mix. Herbs can also be steeped in a bit of warm water to bring out flavor. You can’t really go wrong, so let your imagination be your guide.

16 oz. of fresh squeezed orange juice
Juice of six limes
2 peeled and chopped mangoes
1/4 cup Cointreau
Zest of 2 oranges

Purée all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into a wide, shallow pan and place in freezer. Rake the granita with a fork once an hour for the first three hours to break up the freezing block, then continue to freeze over night. Using a fork, scrape granules into bowls and serve. Enjoy.

Freelance writer JJ Gonson is a frequent contributor to The Times.