Cryogenic Confectioner

How to complete Cryogenic Confectioner

Homemade ice cream or gelato is a custard or milk base churned while it freezes so ice crystals stay tiny and the texture stays creamy. Control over sugar, fat, and flavor lets you make things no shop tub offers.

1. Make a base: heat milk and cream with sugar, then temper in egg yolks and cook to a light custard for ice cream, or skip eggs and use more milk for gelato.
2. Chill the base completely, ideally overnight, so it churns cold and freezes fast.
3. Churn in a machine, or freeze in a shallow pan and stir vigorously every 30 minutes to break up crystals.
4. Fold in any mix-ins near the end of churning, not the start.
5. Transfer to a container and freeze a few hours to firm up before scooping.

Tips

• A warm base churns slowly and turns icy; cold base in is the single biggest fix.
• Gelato uses less cream and is churned slower, so it's denser and served slightly warmer.
• A splash of alcohol or extra sugar keeps it scoopable instead of rock-hard.

What counts as done

You scoop a creamy, frozen batch you churned yourself rather than bought.