The Mystery of Perfect Homemade No-Machine Ice Cream: SOLVED!

At last, after years of fruitless searching, I have finally cracked it! I could almost weep with joy!

I have settled on the cream and condensed milk method, and have managed to pin the exact ration of milk to cream. The Carnation official recipe says one 14 ounce (400 gramme) can of condensed milk to one metric pint (570 millilitres) of whipping cream, and that's just about right but a teensy tiny little bit still icy. So I upped the milk by a little bit and boom: perfect consistency and melt in the mouthiness.

The optimum ratio is (in volume measurements, which I think is best) 5 parts whipping cream to 3 parts condensed milk. It works every time, and if one is adding liquid flavour additions, such as fruit purée or juice or whatnot, do not exceed 1 extra part.

Also, the kind of cream you use is important: use whipping cream, not double cream. Double cream is at least 48% fat, and it too heavy and dense, and it oddly enough give the ice cream a powdery mouthfeel. Whipping cream is between 35 and 40%, which is just right.

So, for example, you want to make coffee ice cream (like I did last night and it was so delicious I ate it all before I bought batteries for my camera... whoops...) the recipe would be as follows:


INGREDIMENTS
Makes 1 imperial pint (570 millilitres)

• 7 fluid ounces (200 millilitres) whipping cream
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons (45 millilitres) strong black coffee
• Pinch of salt

HOW-TO

• In a small bowl, mix together the condensed milk, salt and the coffee together. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
• Fold a spoonful of the cream into the milk and coffee mixture, then pour the milk and coffee mixture into the cream and gently fold through.
• Pour into a pint (570 millilitre) container, cover with the lid or with cling film, and freeze overnight, or for a minimum of 6 hours.
• Allow to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving, and consequently eating with relish!

And it is so good, I can tell you now! No lies here! It's even better when you make your own condensed milk, like I do, because I'm a traditionalist.

Please try it and let me know what you think!