I scream you scream we all scream for Ice Cream!

I never used to be an ice cream hound as a child, I do remember the Mr Softee coming around but my parents rarely allowed me to get any, unless they were in the mood for some. But it has become a comfort food for me, used to be only in the winter, yes winter. My husband thinks I am crazy, I ask him to get me some when I'm real cold , because it warms you up!

Well since this travesty called celiac made it's presence known to me, I have been looking for Ice Cream that is 'safe'. I have never been one much for gluten inclusions like cookies, and such, but did have a spell where I went through quite a few half gallons of chocolate chip cookie dough.

So the search is on.

I'm trying to remember who all had heschers when I was back home that had GF items.

I remember that Blue Bell Icecream had items we could have, but they were pricey, so we used a lot of the Publix brand icecream that was basically the same. We just had to watch ingredients very carefully. Can't remember if there was a hescher or not though

Dove has some good (REALLY good) icecream and I checked, they are certified kosher. I love the Dove bars they sold at walmart and my goodness, when I found the mini-tubs of unconditional chocolate, I would buy them on sale, and eat half one day, half another... LOL

I actually miss that one. The closest thing I can compare it to is Dairy Queen's Chocolate Extreme Blizzard - minus the brownies.

I got where I really didn't like some icecreams, the texture had just too much corn and something else that made it have this icky aftertaste.

There is one icecream back home in Alabama (not kosher inspected though) that is made with organic non-homogenized milk, and I seemed to do the best with, which is made by Wright's Dairy Farm. It is the absolute best icecream next to home made. In fact, it is actually "home made" just done on large scale.

We used their milk and the other usual ingredients when making it at home... it helped keep down the cross contamination issues from fresh dipping (think Baskin Robbins style, using the same scoop just wet down each time) as well as the cost.. my goodness, 3.50$ for a small cup!

Of course, I don't do much better her in Germany frequenting our Italian Gelato place... they make theirs fresh and we just ask what ingredients they have... the best ones they have thus far are their chocolate, hazelnut and tiramisu (made with the flavoring but no gluten!)... I found some others interesting... only about 1/3 of the gelato they make actually has milk, and you can ask which ones are water based, which I found interesting for folks who are lactose intolerant.

It's 2,80Euros for three small scoops (like very small melon ball sized) in our village, but our folks know us well and remember no waffle and we want ours in a take home bowl.. it helps lots.

I just soooo hate we don't have heschers, because it is that much more hassle.

I'm hoping maybe for our next anniversary we can get that kitchenaid mixer I want with all the bells and whistles so I can make icecream on my own and not have to worry so much... then I can bug my inlaws and store it at their house... since they have the big freezer

Have you thought to check out Alton Brown? He has a show called "Good Eats" and goes into the chemistry of how things work, what ingredients are best, and often will throw in things for us celiac folks... he has a really great show/list of recipes for icecream that are to die for.. ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea )

Here are the recipes from that episode. This one, is to die for. Mom made it and left the 'dough' in the fridge overnight and it made an even better vanilla icecream - on par with Italian Gelato, but even more vanilla-y if that's even a word!


Serious Vanilla Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Churn Baby Churn
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.


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Coffee Granita
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Churn Baby Churn
2 cups lukewarm espresso or strong black coffee
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Pour mixture into 9 by 13-inch metal pan and place on level shelf in freezer for half an hour. (Mixture should only come about 1/4-inch up the side of the pan.) Remove and use a dinner fork to scrape any ice crystals that have formed on the side or bottom of the pan. Return to freezer and repeat scraping every 20 to 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Once mixture is thoroughly frozen, fluff with a fork and allow flakes to "dry" in freezer another half hour before serving. When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.
Scoop into goblets and top with barely sweetened whipped cream, add additional citrus zest if desired.

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Key Lime Sorbet
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Churn Baby Churn
1 cup sugar
1 cup key lime preserves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
4 cups lime flavored club soda or seltzer
Kosher salt

Combine sugar, preserves and 1 cup of the soda in a medium saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar and preserves are melted. Add citrus juice and zest. Stir in the remaining soda, move to a clean, lidded container and chill thoroughly, 2 to 3 hours.

Turn mixture in ice cream maker per maker's instructions or until mixture reaches the consistency of a firm slush. Return mixture to lidded container and harden in freezer 1 hour before serving.

If sorbet is to be held frozen for longer than 2 hours, move from freezer to refrigerator for about half an hour before serving. If you'd like a more assertive sorbet, double the amount of citrus zest.


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We made a chocolate version of the top recipe, and I'll just copy the modifications my mom made here to the recipe:


This recipe was taken from an Alton Brown TV show. I will note some of my changes from his basic formula that have been successes.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

1 Quart
2 cups Half & Half
1 cup Cream
1 cup Sugar
1/4 pinch of salt
1/4 vanilla bean

2 Quarts
4 cups Half & Half
2 cups Cream
2 cups Sugar
1/2 pinch of salt
1/2 vanilla bean

4 Quarts
8 cups Half & Half
4 cups Cream
4 cups of sugar
1 vanilla bean or 2 if you like intense flavor
pinch of salt


Place all ingredients into a large pot and using a candy thermometer, stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the temp has reached 175 F degrees over medium heat, remove from the heat source.

Allow the mixture to reach room temp and then place in the fridge. You want the mixture to be well chilled. It is best if you leave overnight, but can process after about 4 hours. (I have left it in the fridge for 3 days and it still is wonderful.)

Process in your ice cream churn and then place in the freezer to harden the ice cream.

For chocolate ice cream, I took 1/2 cup of cocoa and mixed it with some of the milk mixture to make a smooth liquid. I then placed it together to make 4 qts of chocolate ice cream.

Placing Fresh fruit in the churn makes a wonderful ice cream.

When I was out of some or all of one of the ingredients, I just measured the non-homogenized Wrights Dairy Whole milk as a substitute and did not see any difference in the taste of the ice cream.

If you wanted to make a lower fat content, you could use the lower fat milk. (I haven't tried 2%, but I assume that it would taste similar to ice milk)

On the Alton Brown show, he said if you wanted to use perserves to take away 3 Tbs of sugar and add 3 Tbs of perserves. (I think that was for the 1 qt, so you will have to play with that if you make a larger quantity using perserves.)

I love Alton Brown, his show is mostly the only reason I turn on the TV, and Food Network. Shame they have him doing the American Iron Chef and Who's going to be the next Iron Chef. I miss him, but they keep running old shows. I almost met him in person a few years back, he was scheduled at a wine tasting and cooking show and he didn't come, I heard that was when he was hospitalized, after a heart scare. I do love his science behind the cooking but notice he likes to use much pork and shellfish, so some shows I don't watch but to learn techniqes.


I was in the store recently and was trying to find some Ice cream and noticed the stores brand is now certified by the OU, they never were before so I never tried them, and to top it off, they list right on the front of the package if it is GF or not. I found many flavors that are GF and now need to make room in the freezer so I can try some!

Wegmans is only in a few states, NY,NJ, PA, Maryland and Virginia where I am. So this will only help a few peeps.

Ice Cream

All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip, 1/2 gal
All Natural Chocolate, 1/2 gal
All Natural Coffee Explosion, 1/2 gal
All Natural French Vanilla, 1/2 gal
All Natural Vanilla Fudge, 1/2 gal
All Natural Vanilla, 1/2 gal
Black Cherry, Peak Of Perfection, Ice Cream; one pint
Black Raspberry, .5 gallon
Blueberry, Peak Of Perfection, Ice Cream; one pint
Café Latte with Whipped Cream Flavored Riple Coffee; Quart
Cherry w/ Dark Chocolate Ice cream bars - 6 bars (6 - 3.0 fl oz bars, or 18 fl oz)
Chocolate 1.75 Qts
Chocolate Chip, 1.75 qts
Chocolate Marshmallow, 1.75 Qts
Chocolate Vanill Ice Cream, 1.75 QTS
Crème De Menthe Ice Cream, 0.5 gallon
Egg Nog Flavored Ice Cream, 0.5 gal;
French Roast coffee Ice cream, qt.
French Vanilla Ice Cream, 1.75 Qts
Fudge Bars, No sugar added, (10 bars, 2.5 fl oz each)
Hazelnut Chip coffee icecream, 32 fl oz
Heavenly Hash, .5 gallon
Low Fat Cappuccino Chip Ice Cream; half gallon
Low Fat Chocolate Indulgence, 1.75 Qts
Low Fat Mint Chip Ice Cream, 1/2 gal.
Low Fat Praline Pecan Ice Cream; half gallon
Low Fat Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream, 1.75 Qts
Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream, 1.75 Qts.
Mango, Peak Of Perfection, Ice Cream, one pint
Maple Walnut, 1.75 Qts
Neapolitan, all natural, .5 gal
Neopolitan, 1.75 Qts
Peach, Peak Of Perfection, Ice Cream, one pint
Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream, 1/2 gal.
Peanut Butter Sundae Ice Cream, 1.75 qts
Peanut Butter Swirl, .5 gal
Pistachio Vanilla Swirl Ice Cream, 1.75 Qts
Raspberry Cashew Swirl, .5 gallon; ice cream
Strawberry, 1.75 Qts
Tin Roof, .5 gal
Vanilla & Dark Chocolate Premium Ice Cream Bars 6 bars, (3.0 fl oz ea), 18 fl oz
Vanilla Ice Cream with Orange Sherbet, 1.75 Qts
Vanilla Raspberry Sorbet Ice Cream, 1.75 qts
Vanilla, 1.75 Qts
Venetian Cappuccino Ice Cream, ITC, half gallon

Ice Cream Bars
Fudge Bars 12/2.5 oz
Ice cream bars 12/3 oz

Ice Cream Cups
Ice Cream Cups 12/3 oz
Peanut Butter Candy Sundae Cups
Peanut Butter Cup Sundae Cups

Ice Cream, Premium
Chocolate Caramel Premium Ice Cream; Pint
Peanut Butter & Jelly, Super Premium, Pint
Peanut Butter Cup Premium Ice Cream; Pint
Premium Vanilla Ice Cream; Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Butter Pecan; One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Cherry Armagnac, one pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Chocolate, One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Coconut Mango, One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Creamy Caramel, One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Crème Brulee, one pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate; One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, French Roast; One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Hazelnut Chip, One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Jamocha Almond Fudge, One Pint
Super Premium Ice Cream, Rum Raisin, One Pint

On my list to try ASAP

Hazelnut Chip
Rum Raisin - ( I know DH will love this too! )
French Roast
Crème Brulee
Coconut Mango
Pistachio Vanilla Swirl
Hazelnut Chip coffee
Praline Pecan ( this one set my heart afire when I saw it, this is my most favorite flavor, out side of chocolates )