Here’s a real treat: ice cream that doesn’t need an ice cream maker! Even better, you only need a few basic ingredients and a mixer to make it. Here’s my silent movie twist on a fabulous recipe.
(This post is part of my Classic Movie Ice Cream Social. Read the fantastic posts here!)
What I love about this recipe is that I have actually had more success with it than I ever have had with ice cream maker treats. It’s easy, it’s delicious and no one will ever know you cut corners. Once you know how to make the base, you can use it for any flavor imaginable.
My idea: make ice cream dedicated to silent stars and films. Everyone deserves their own signature ice cream!
My flavor? I know this is a shock but I wanted an ice cream that would capture Ivan Mosjoukine in dessert form. In case you don’t know, Ivan Mosjoukine was a Russian actor who fled the revolution in his country and ended up in France, where he and his fellow expats made films that displayed remarkable creativity, wit and style. They had discovered the holy grail of filmmaking: popular blockbusters that were also critical darlings.
Mosjoukine’s career has been sadly neglected but I have made it my goal to spread the word about his impressive versatility and acting ability. If you want a good showcase, I highly recommend the perfectly insane detective comedy The Burning Crucible. You can buy it as part of a box set or rent it for a few bucks.
I wanted to combine typical elements of both French and Russian desserts and, assisted by a fellow Russophile and recent Mosjoukine convert, I set about planning. We hit on the idea of madeleines, a shell-shaped mini cake, combined with jam and almonds. Nuts and jam make their way into many Russian desserts and they also provide texture and flavor to the ice cream. I selected seedless raspberry jam for maximum tang.
I had my doubts about the texture of the no-machine ice cream, to be honest, but it turned out perfectly! Look at this:
It looks like it’s fresh from Ben and Jerry!
And the flavor! Mmmmm! There is a slight caramel taste, thanks to the condensed milk, and the soft madeleines go with it beautifully. As the ice cream is rather sweet, the tangy jam is a welcome break and the crunchy almonds round it out.
This recipe was inspired by an article in the New York Times but I am also indebted to tips from Kitchen Conundrums and Gemma Stafford.
The Recipe
Note: Be sure to chill all the ingredients, including the mix-ins, before starting. All measurements are Imperial units. (No rebel units will be tolerated.)
Equipment: A stand mixer, a rubber spatula for scraping, something to chill the ice cream in.
Here’s what you need for the ice cream base:
1 pint of heavy cream
1 14-ounce can of condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and then slowly add in the condensed milk and vanilla with the mixer still on. Once the condensed milk is fully incorporated and the mixture has formed stiff peaks, it’s time to stop mixing and start adding.
Ivan Mosjoukine’s Flavors
8 large madeleines
6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam (plus 4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Crumble the madeleines (not too small!) and gently fold them into the ice cream base. Fold in the 6 tablespoons of jam, a half-teaspoon at a time.
Pack the ice cream mixture into pint containers (you should get just shy of four pints). Before putting on the lids, sprinkle the top of the ice cream with almonds and plop one teaspoon of jam in the center. Put the lids on and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
You can buy ice cream pint containers here.
As you can see, this recipe is extremely versatile. Can you think of a movie or movie star-inspired ice cream flavor that uses this base? Leave a comment!
Movies Silently 
This looks divine!
Super tasty too! 🙂
Fantastic idea and entries! KUDOSD to you, Fritzi!
Aurora
The participants are doing an amazing job! Thank you!
Now this I will definitely try! I’ve been hoping to make my own Reeses-Peeses flurry and this sounds like the perfect base for the it. If I made Harold Lloyd Ice Cream I’d imagine it including chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries, and walnuts ( and don’t ask me why! ). Shucks, I really wish I could have participated in the social, but I just didn’t have the time. Still, it’s fun reading the entries.
Yes, this is a really excellent base and should go very well with peanut butter candies. The Harold Lloyd ice cream sounds divine!
Wow. Now I’m even more annoyed my mixer I don’t/didn’t use often broke. Anyway, I’d maybe make D.W. Griffith ice cream, but somehow, corn, bananas, and marshmallows may not go together in a tasty fashion… I guess it’s plain vanilla with some honey-soaked ginger, a bit of ground star anise and maybe some sliced lychee that won’t be named after Anna May Wong?
This ice cream base would be amazing with star anise!
I’m actually thinking about buying a mixer to make this. Sounds amazing, and I love what inspired you to make it.
Thank you! And if you do decide to get a mixer, one of those cheap hand-held units works just fine.
Hi Fritzi. It looks beautiful and I’ll bet it tastes great, too. I think you captured some of the features of Russian desserts. “They had discovered the holy grail of filmmaking: popular blockbusters that were also critical darlings.” — Is that where Merchant and Ivory got the idea?
It’s wonderfully delicious!
I know what ice cream I’ll be preparing next summer: yours! I also can imagine Mary Pickford’s flavor being of mint with dark chocolate, a bit sweet and very surprising.
That was a fun blogathon, thanks for hosting it!
Great idea!