Few ice cream shops make their ice cream completely from scratch on the premises. Most commercial establishments receive a pre-made mix in a large bag: all that's left to do is churn the mix in a machine and add flavoring. But Brooklyn-based parlor Ample Hills Creamery believes firmly in the process of cracking eggs, separating yolks, and adding fresh cream. "It allows us to make flavors that other shops can't," says owner Brian Smith. Take Ample Hills' addicting pretzel milk custard, which gets its flavor from steeping pretzels in milk until they're mush.
After three years of seeing lines of people snaking out the door of their Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, location, owners Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna are finally sharing their coveted recipes. Their book Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn's Favorite Ice Cream Shop made its debut this week. "Some people can't believe we're giving away the secret," laughs Jackie.
With help from marketing director, illustrator, and ex-scooper Lauren Kaelin, Ample Hills has created a cookbook that brings the shop's familial experience home. Rather than categorize the flavors into seasons, Brian, Jackie, and Lauren chose to focus on thematic moods. "If you're feeling blissful you'll eat vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate ice cream, and if you're feeling curious you'll eat some weirder flavors," says Brian.
Brian and Jackie were sweet enough to share their recipe for Bananamon ice cream from the book. It's reminiscent of creamy banana pudding with crumbly vanilla wafer pieces. Brian recommends you use an old-fashioned hand crank ice cream maker with rock salt—it freezes the cream faster and all your friends can take turns churning.
Bananamon
1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
¾ cup (90 g) skim milk powder
¾ cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pound (455 g) ripe peeled fresh bananas
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
1 (12-ounce/340-g) box or about 25 vanilla wafer cookies
1. Make the banana ice cream: In a blender, combine the milk, skim milk powder, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and bananas, and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the cream. Stir until combined.
2. Transfer the base to an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Break the vanilla wafer cookies into quarters. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container, gently folding in the cookie pieces as you do. Serve immediately or harden in your freezer for 8 to 12 hours for a more scoopable ice cream.
Catch Brian, Jackie, and Lauren this Wednesday, April 16 at 7 PM celebrating their book release with signings and samples at the powerHouse Arena and Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 PM at Greenlight Bookstore, featuring Ample Hills' very own ice cream churning bicycle for attendees to demo.
Samantha Simon is a writer/emotional eater living in Brooklyn. Follow her on Twitter @playgrlmansion
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After three years of seeing lines of people snaking out the door of their Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, location, owners Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna are finally sharing their coveted recipes. Their book Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn's Favorite Ice Cream Shop made its debut this week. "Some people can't believe we're giving away the secret," laughs Jackie.
With help from marketing director, illustrator, and ex-scooper Lauren Kaelin, Ample Hills has created a cookbook that brings the shop's familial experience home. Rather than categorize the flavors into seasons, Brian, Jackie, and Lauren chose to focus on thematic moods. "If you're feeling blissful you'll eat vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate ice cream, and if you're feeling curious you'll eat some weirder flavors," says Brian.
Brian and Jackie were sweet enough to share their recipe for Bananamon ice cream from the book. It's reminiscent of creamy banana pudding with crumbly vanilla wafer pieces. Brian recommends you use an old-fashioned hand crank ice cream maker with rock salt—it freezes the cream faster and all your friends can take turns churning.
Bananamon
1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
¾ cup (90 g) skim milk powder
¾ cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pound (455 g) ripe peeled fresh bananas
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
1 (12-ounce/340-g) box or about 25 vanilla wafer cookies
1. Make the banana ice cream: In a blender, combine the milk, skim milk powder, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and bananas, and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the cream. Stir until combined.
2. Transfer the base to an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Break the vanilla wafer cookies into quarters. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container, gently folding in the cookie pieces as you do. Serve immediately or harden in your freezer for 8 to 12 hours for a more scoopable ice cream.
Catch Brian, Jackie, and Lauren this Wednesday, April 16 at 7 PM celebrating their book release with signings and samples at the powerHouse Arena and Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 PM at Greenlight Bookstore, featuring Ample Hills' very own ice cream churning bicycle for attendees to demo.
Samantha Simon is a writer/emotional eater living in Brooklyn. Follow her on Twitter @playgrlmansion
Bananamon ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn's Favorite Ice Cream Shop. Photos courtesy of Lucy Schaeffer.
