Chill Out

Homemade ice cream (and granita, which doesn't require any special equipment) is a lot easier ? and tastier ? than you thought.

If you want to become really popular - with house painters, teachers, small children, teenagers, friends, random adults, even people who barely like you - my suggestion is to write a book on ice cream (see "Kitchen Aide," below) and be very generous with what you produce.

If truth be told, I was generous, in part, because I wanted feedback (even negative), and I didn't want a freezer overflowing with more and more ice cream. Additionally, homemade ice cream is really at its peak when it has just been made or within a few hours. After a day, the texture loses its vibrancy.

I approached writing a book about ice cream more scientifically than I had any other food. I played with temperature and found that there is no point in rushing things: Temperature matters. When I say a mixture must be 40 degrees, I mean it, and although I recommend one of those small pocket thermometers that you often see sticking of out chefs' coats, I don't have absolute faith in them. If you have any doubt whether a mixture you're going to freeze is cold enough, add another hour in the refrigerator. On the other hand, I played endlessly with the quantities of sugar and fruit and the proportion of cream to milk. As a rule the recipes in my book are lower in sugar, higher in flavor, and lower in fat than most commercial versions. When you make ice cream or gelato with too much heavy cream or too many eggs, you coat your taste buds and, as a result, dull them. And then what's the point?

FRESH PEACH AND MARCONA ALMOND GELATO
MAKES 1 1/2 TO 2 PINTS

More subtle, sweeter, and juicier than your standard almond, Spanish Marcona almonds are hands down my favorite nuts. They're available raw, but for both eating and for cooking, I prefer the ones that are fried in olive oil, then packed in sunflower oil and sea salt. Make this ice cream during the summer, when peaches are at their best: The combination of the sweet, juicy peaches and the firm, slightly salty almonds is breathtaking. This ice cream takes forever to freeze in the ice cream maker, so don't bother waiting - when it's close, just finish the process in the freezer.

4 1/4 cups pitted, skinned, and diced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped

Place the peaches and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a shallow bowl, cover, and set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Mash with a potato masher until the peaches are completely broken up but still have some texture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small pan over low heat, cook the milk and cream, whisking from time to time, until the mixture is warm, about 175 degrees.

In a small metal bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and the salt until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking as you pour. Continue adding the milk mixture to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 1 1/2 cups total. Slowly, and still whisking, return the milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185 degrees. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pour through a strainer into a metal bowl, discard the solids, and set aside until it reaches room temperature.

Add the peaches, lemon juice, and vanilla, and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture reaches 40 degrees, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

When the ice cream is just beginning to come together but has not hardened completely, add the almonds and process for about 5 more minutes. Continue to chill in freezer, if desired, or serve at once.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM
MAKES 1 1/2 TO 2 PINTS

A classic combo. Instead of using peanut butter ice cream and adding chocolate chips, this recipe uses a variation of vanilla ice cream with big gobs of peanut butter, and is laced with chocolate chips.

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup peanut butter

In a small pan over low heat, cook the milk, cream, and 1/4 cup of the sugar, whisking from time to time, until the mixture is warm, about 175 degrees.

In a small metal bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and the vanilla until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking as you pour. Continue adding milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 1 1/2 cups. Slowly, and still whisking, return the milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185 degrees. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pour through a strainer into a metal bowl, discard the solids, and set aside until it reaches room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture reaches 40 degrees, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

When the ice cream is just beginning to come together but has not hardened completely, add the chocolate chips and process for about 4 more minutes. Just before the ice cream is finished freezing, add the peanut butter in 1-tablespoon gobs. Once you have added all of the peanut butter, stop processing; do not allow the peanut butter to be incorporated into the ice cream. Continue to chill in freezer, if desired, or serve at once.

COFFEE GRANITA
MAKES 1 1/2 TO 2 PINTS

Granita does not require any special equipment and is effortless to set up with ingredients you are likely to have on hand. Unlike sorbet, granita is grainy in texture. Serve with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream.

3 3/4 cups hot brewed espresso or strong coffee
3/4 cup sugar

Place the coffee and sugar in a shallow pan and mix until the sugar dissolves. Set the mixture aside until it reaches room temperature. Transfer to the freezer. Using a fork, stir the mixture every 15 minutes until frozen, about 2 hours. Serve at once.

Recipes and introduction adapted from Recipe of the Week: Ice Cream (Wiley 2008), by Sally Sampson. Send comments to cooking@globe.com.