KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker Attachment

I got this attachment for my birthday, and I absolutely love it! It can make up to 2 litres in single batch. I give this product a 5 star rating!

There were a few things that I found initially frustrating and annoying; you have to pre-freeze the bowl for a minimum of 15 hours each time you want to make ice cream, and the recipes contained in the instruction manual all involve premixing the ingredients and then chilling for 8-10 hours before churning. However I quickly came up with solutions to both!

After the initial 15 hour freeze, whenever you make ice cream, immediately wash out the bowl with COLD water, dry the outside, and pop it back into the freezer to stay frozen. This eliminates the 15 hour wait time to refreeze. Just make sure that you use cold water to wash it out, so as not to speed up melting and/or crack the plastic housing from temperature shock.

As for the premixing of ingredients and chilling for 8-10 hours - I found this can be avoided if you make Philadelphia-style ice cream, instead of the French-style (custard-based) ice cream recipes provided in the manual. The first time I tried making ice cream, I used the standard French-style French vanilla recipe provided, and was not at all satisfied with the results. Although it looked and tasted good, the texture was too airy and "fluffy", and when I put it in the freezer to set, it was almost like a frozen mousse, not ice cream. It was also very hard after being in the freezer, like a block of ice, and couldn't be easily scooped. I prefer my ice cream to be more dense, but still soft and creamy. And don't forget, I had to premix all the ingredients, cook them to form a custard, and then chill everything for 10 hours before I could actually even make the ice cream! That's when I went online and discovered Philadelphia-style ice cream, which eliminates the custard base and eggs. It is much simpler, using only cream, milk, sugar, and flavouring. It came out soft and rich, like soft serve, and set PERFECTLY in the freezer - easy to scoop! I highly recommend this style over the French-style recipes.

Here are a few recipes I have come up with so far:

Bailey's Irish Cream Ice Cream (Yields 4 cups or 1 L)

* 2 cups whipping cream (35% m.f.)
* 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 shots Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur (works better if Bailey's is kept chilled in fridge or freezer)

- Whisk together the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir in the cream and Bailey's, and mix until incorporated.
- Assemble ice cream maker attachment and turn the mixer to speed 1.
- Slowly pour the mixture into the bowl and let churn for 15-20 minutes, or until desired consistency.

** Freeze in airtight container for 2 hours to set, or eat as a soft-serve style ice cream directly after mixing.
** You can substitute the Bailey's liqueur with your favourite strawberry liqueur (I use Amarula), and add fresh, diced strawberries about 3 minutes before the ice cream is done churning.

Godiva Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

* 2 cups whipping cream (35% m.f.)
* 1 cup chocolate milk
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 tsp cocoa powder
* 2 shots Godiva White Chocolate liqueur
* Chocolate chunks or shavings (I use semi-sweet)

- Whisk milk, sugar, and cocoa together until dissolved.
- Add cream and Godiva liqueur, and mix until incorporated.
- Assemble ice cream maker attachment and turn the mixer to speed 1.
- Slowly pour the mixture into the bowl and let churn for 15-20 minutes, or until desired consistency.
- Add the chocolate shavings/chunks to the ice cream about 3 minutes before you are done churning.

** Freeze in airtight container for 2 hours to set, or eat as a soft-serve style ice cream directly after mixing.

You don't have to use liqueurs in your ice cream if you don't want to - or if it will be served to children. Just follow the basic recipes and omit the alcohol. I do find, though, that the alcohol helps to prevent the ice cream from getting too hard when stored in the freezer, as alcohol does not freeze. Even without the alcohol, though, it is still much softer and easier to scoop than the French-style recipes.

Enjoy!

When I saw that there was an ice-cream maker attachment for the kitchenaid stand mixer, I was so excited. I have only used it once and am already planning many different combinations to try. I did find that it took longer than I thought it would, but good things come to those who wait. The recipe book included has recipes to get you started, with basic flavours which you can then add to. I would have liked some eggless recipes, but those have been easily found online. I would recommend this attachment to anyone who has a kitchenaid stand mixer.

I received my Ice Cream Maker for the Kitchen Aid standup mixer. Works awesome. Easy to use. Kids loved the ice cream as did mom. It does come out initially like soft-serve, which is not my favourite... but once left in the freezer for a few hours, it really hardens nicely. No additives... no preservatives... awesome!