Perfectly Simple Ice Cream : 100 Recipes Anyone Can Make is a delightful book full of tasty treats and flavour twists. Although maybe simple to a chef is not always the case for everyone else. I liked the recipes for toppings and for the refreshing granolas and there were lots of ice creams I would love to make. Overall a treat of a book.

Ever since getting a Ninja Creami, I've enjoyed delving into ice cream recipes and the science behind one of my favorite treats. So when this showed up in NetGalley, I jumped on the chance to read and review it.

To be honest, I'm a bit torn on this cookbook. While the title promises easy, low-effort, recipes, the authors are professional chefs and so our ideas of 'simple' differ. I think the tagline of "100 recipes anyone can make" is slightly more accurate, as the majority of the recipes involve ingredients and cooking utensils found countrywide.

It's an ARC, but it's the roughest ARC I've ever read. The ingredients for each recipe were halfway through the recipe itself, every 7 words were missing 2-3 letters, and much of the text was light grey (on the medium grey background of my Kindle Fire). I have nothing against hyping a book through ARC reviews, but this book was a good argument for layout editors to meet some sort of minimum bar before asking readers to embark on that. Because of course it negatively colored my experience of the cookbook!

The pros:
-The recipes are organized in a way that makes it easy to hone in on your idea of good ice cream, whether that's classic flavors, booze flavors, more edgy stuff, or whatever.
-No gastronomic Olympics here- the authors have a custard-style ice cream base and recommend fresh flavorings (fruits, herbs, etc.), but otherwise they don't require specific machinery or complex timing.
-I appreciate that the authors advocate things like ice cream socials, and treated this sweet treat as not just a kids dessert.
-They did offer an egg-free ice cream base alternative, though not a dairy-free one (*whomp whomp*)

The cons:
-Despite being a book about ice cream, there were several recipes for other sweet frozen treats. I can forgive frozen yogurt being considered an ice cream, but granita are like Slurpees, not ice cream.
-Every recipe repeated the same ice cream base, instead of just putting it in the front and referring to it. It made the first half of each recipe feel like filler. And when a recipe is 4 pages long, it's the opposite of 'simple'. The editor should've insisted on more conciseness.
-I suppose anyone can make a prickly pear ice cream flavor, but where (outside of the southwestern US) are people going to find prickly pear? I wish they'd included comparable alternatives for the more exotic recipes.
-Every recipe was sized to make a party batch of ice cream (4 quarts, I think). I love ice cream, but I live alone and my ice cream maker can only handle a pint at a time. They did not provide any way to size a recipe down, or else it was totally illegible (you can't always just cut everything in half.)

Despite that, I bookmarked a dozen or so to try sizing down for myself, because I'm just too darn curious and they sounded delicious. Flavors such as Ras el Hanout, London Fog, Chocolate Sherbet, Orange-Cardamom, and Amaretto with Dried Cherries.

Overall, I wouldn't buy this cookbook, but I might flip through it at the library before remembering that the internet is full of great ice cream bloggers with truly simple recipes that are sized for 1 quart, some of which are dairy-free and delicious.

I'm actually famous for how much I love ice cream. I talk about ice cream like I talk about a great friend. This book has tons of recipes for making your own amazing ice cream, along with gorgeous pictures. I don't have an ice cream maker yet but this has convinced me it would be worth it. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I love ice cream. And recently I began experimenting with making my own. This book excites and inspires as I look forward to branching out and trying the recipes in this wonderful book.

A delightful book filled with tasty treats. Visually appealing with clear instructions to create your own ice cream treats.

Lots of great recipes for ice cream, granitas, and toppings! Clear directions make it easy to follow, even if you are not an accomplished cook.
Inviting pictures help round out the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Callisto Publishing | Callisto for the ARC!

I think it's a beautiful ice cream book, unfortunately you need an ice cream maker and I don't have one, but if you have one this book is very helpful, practical and really adorable.

Love the layout and recipes in this cookbook. I'm excited to try more of these - I tried a sorbet this week and it was fantastic. Ingredients are easy to source and instructions were very clear.

I have been on a mission to make my own ice cream since I bought a kitchen aid attachment for my mixer! This recipes books give so many great recipes that I think anyone is capable of making. I do really like the layout and images in this cookbook, the basics into making the different variations of ice cream is very thorough. I do feel like there could have been more images of the recipes. I look forward to the print version! I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6475248844

Almost everybody loves ice cream, but most rely on the storebought variety. However, everyone knows that homemade ice cream is far superior, even to the expensive premium brands. However, two chefs from Chez Panisse, one of the most famous restaurants that has been around since Alice Waters (who writes the foreword) opened it over fifty years ago, Anthony Tassinello and Mary Jo Thoresen, have released a fabulous cookbook that will inspire everyone to make their own, Perfectly Simple Ice Cream: 100 Recipes Anyone Can Make. The cookbook includes the obligatory how-tos, which are simplified and straightforward, as well as dozens of recipes or mouthwatering flavors of ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt from scratch. Also included are recipes for ice cream bombs, floats, and baked Alaska.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions, so anyone – both beginning and advanced cooks – can easily make great ice cream at home. There are also plenty of notes in the introduction of each recipe, explaining where the flavor came from or other information.

There are beautiful professional photographs of some of the recipes, but if there were a drawback to this book, it would be that many of the recipes aren’t pictured. Fortunately the recipes speak for themselves, and are tempting even though we may not know what our finished product will look like. The imagination of the chefs is apparent, and there are ice cream, granite, frozen yogurt, etc. flavors to please everyone.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

3.5 stars
After a chaper on ingredients and equipment, and another on techniques (with step-by-step drawings), the recipes are in chapters on Classic, Chocolaty, Fruity, Nostalgic, Surprising, Festive, and Boozy. A final chapter called "and to top it off..." was unfortunately omitted from my ARC. Only a handful of the recipes have color photos.
I did like that there were a variety of end results beyond ice cream, including granitas, sorbets, frozen yogurts, and frozen desserts.
This is an interesting ice cream book. Lots of the recipes feature flavors I would refer to as more exotic or gourmet than usual. This is not a book for kids wanting ice cream. For instance, in the fruity chapter - passion fruit, candied kumquat, and plum. The surprising and festive chapters feature spices and other ingredients that aren't as common in ice creams.
While the recipes may be simple, I don't feel that the ingredients are, and the title is somewhat misleading.

This book was pretty good, the recipes all sounded really good. My only complaint is that they all require an ice cream maker! I was hoping this book would teach you how to make ice cream without one, but it did not. Other than that, it was pretty good, and all the recipes I tried were delicious!

General Thoughts

Two former chefs from Chez Panisse, Alice Water’s Berkeley restaurant authored Perfectly Simple Ice Cream. Chez Panisse is known for great ingredients and tasty foods. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet, but I’m really hopeful I’ll get to go on future trip to the Bay Area.

Overall, the recipes seem straight-forward to make, assuming you have an ice cream machine. It goes over the basic techniques for ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt and then goes into very many flavor profiles. There’s traditional flavors (Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Chip, etc). There’s also some surprising recipes (rice, London Fog, Honey-Lavender, etc.), and even a section on boozy options (Apple Brandy, Late-Harvest Riesling, Rum-Raisin, etc.) It’s a really great starting point for trying new recipes and flavor combinations. I’m really excited to try some of these, especially since we don’t have a unique local shop like Molly Moon’s near us in the Midwest!

Weeknight Cooking?

I wouldn’t make ice cream for the first time on a weeknight after work. There’s a pretty decent amount of skill in tempering the eggs and making the custard that I would want to be clear-headed and have time to work through the recipe. However, I think once I learned the skill and made a few batches, these recipes seem to be quick enough to make that it would be easy to make on a weeknight. Maybe 30-40 minutes to make the custard and then whatever chilling time you have on your ice cream machine.

Basics or Advanced?

This book goes through the basic techniques of ice cream making, so it’s suitable for beginners. It might take some practice to make a great custard, but overall, definitely good for any levels. It’s called Perfectly Simple Ice Cream for a reason!

Picture Quality

Pictures and drawings of the instructions are beautiful. In the techniques section, the drawings are good to explain what you need to do. In the rest of the book, it’s pictures of ice cream sundaes, which is amazing. Definitely enough to help someone understand what they are doing.

Unique Tools and Ingredients?

So you definitely need an ice cream machine to make most of these recipes. There’s a variety of prices that they recommend at the beginning of the book, so maybe not a huge investment, but it’s a machine that is single use that will take up space. It might be right for you but not necessarily for everyone!

Ingredients are not very hard to find and most can be kept in the fridge for while before they go bad. For example, a basic ice cream only needs heavy cream, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar and salt. Add some fresh fruits for flavors, but generally, the ingredients are very approachable and won’t require a lot of effort to find. Perhaps some of the more unique flavors have harder to find ingredients, but for most of the book, you don’t need anything very hard to find. Again, it’s really called Perfectly Simple Ice Cream for a reason!

Recipes I’ve Cooked From Perfectly Simple Ice Cream

None yet. I’m borrowing my brother’s ice cream maker to get started.

Recipes That I Have on my To-Make List From Perfectly Simple Ice Cream

London Fog. Honey Lavender. Rocky Road. Peanut Butter.

Overall, if you’re looking for a good book on how to make ice cream and suggestions for flavors to try, I would highly recommend Perfectly Simple Ice Cream!

Absolutely incredible ice cream book. It gives a very in-depth overview of everything to do with ice cream, and I was taken back by the detail and description of everything from the equipment, to the recipes. Very insightful and if you need ice cream recipes, this is the place to go.

I have been making no-churn gelato for several years. This book appealed to me because of the beautiful cover and the chance to learn new ice cream recipes. Very nice book to add to any cook's collection.

Perfectly simple ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbets, granitas, pops, and bombes anyone can make including over one hundred recipes. Of course, you must start at the beginning with essential supplies and knowledge around technique. Once the foundation is laid, it moves on to options. So many options! The classics, chocolate, fruity, nostalgic, surprising, festive, and spirited. Step by step directions are provided in addition to many colorful pictures to spark your own creativity. Most of these do require an ice cream maker, but there a few recipes that don’t call for one. All seasons, flavors, and consistencies are covered, making this a guaranteed win for all readers!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Perfectly Simple Ice Cream: 100 Recipes Anyone Can Make
Antony Tassinello, Mary Jo Thoresen
I love homemade ice cream! This book is chockful of recipes. There is no stopping the fun, you can make any flavor at home. There are tips and techniques to assist you in your ice-cold delicious endeavor, plus there are recipes for sauces/toppings. Homemade caramel sauce, whipped cream, hot fudge and chocolate sauce.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Ice cream and make it simple....

But fancy. I love ice cream and I like it even better if it is made simple. This book does that, but it is still pretty fancy. Read the recipe thoroughly. The recipes are pretty simple, but definitely elevated and elegant. Lovely photos, a good layout and dozens of recipes. There is one no egg ice cream recipes, most use egg yolk. There are recipes for Baked Alaska and Cassata.
Recommend.

To be honest, I was given this book for review, but it was formatted in such a way that made it nearly impossible to read. I would love to try this again after it is published to give it a proper chance. As it is, I’m unable to read this.

Thank you NetGalley, for the review copy. This was my honest review.

The cookbook includes 100 recipes for ice cream and other frozen treats. The cookbook begins with ingredients and equipment you should have on hand, which is helpful for those who have not ventured into making their own ice cream before. The following chapter then includes techniques to make basic ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt. Afterward are the Classic, Chocolaty, Fruity, Nostalgic, Surprising, Festive, and Boozy recipes.
Each recipe includes an introduction, ingredient list, and directions. However, each chapter only includes 2-3 pictures, which is less than a fourth of the recipes. It would have been helpful to have pictures of all the recipes so you would know what the ice cream looks like if you were unfamiliar with it. It would also help you decide if you want to make it.
That said, there are recipes I would like to try making, including Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (which is my favorite flavor), Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream with Churros, Pineapple Sherbet, Peaches and Cream, and Watermelon Ice Pops. Perfectly Simple Ice Cream is a good cookbook if you want to make your own ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or granita, but the lack of photos does bring the quality down.