You Only Need An Ice Cube Tray To Make Homemade Ice Cream

Long ago, the only way to make ice cream at home was to make a cooked custard, cool it, and then get out a huge, barrel-shaped ice cream maker (you can still buy one at Amish Made). You had to have rock salt and ice on hand, and when the custard went into the inner container, the outer container was layered with the salt and ice. You added the blade, which is called a dasher, and put the whole thing together. And then you cranked by hand, which took a very long time and at least two people. Or you had an electric machine which usually had to be put outside as it ran because of the racket it made (via YouTube).

No longer! Now, with a few tips and special ingredients, you can make ice cream in an ice cube tray.

But that's not the only secret. The ingredients you use are different from the old days, and luckily you don't always need to make a custard from scratch. Oh, and you need one other appliance: a food processor. 

First, a bit of ice cream science according to Scientific American. Ice cream is all about texture. As liquid freezes, crystals form. And crystals make frozen liquid rock hard (i.e. ice cubes). So you want to reduce crystal formation and freeze fast so that the crystals that do form are as small as possible. Ice cream machines accomplish this by churning the custard, which not only breaks up crystals as they form but adds air, which creates a desirable texture. All ice cream has what is called "overrun," per Chemistry For Life, or the percentage of air added to the product. The best ice cream has about 25% to 35% overrun, for a smooth and rich texture, via Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. You want some air, but not too much.

Ice cream also needs fat for smaller crystals, per Callebaut. Whipping cream is the ingredient for that.

So how do we accomplish this without churning? If the ice cream isn't churned, there's no air in it. And freezing the custard in the freezer is a long and slow process. The answer is the ice cube tray and food processor, along with the use of whipped cream. The custard mixture freezes faster in the ice cube tray: fewer and smaller crystals. The food processor whips the cubes, adding air — smaller crystals. And whipped cream adds more fat and air, via America's Test Kitchen, for fewer, smaller crystals and a smooth texture. Voila!

For the perfect ice cream using only an ice cube tray and a food processor, you can use any recipe, but it may be better to start with a no-churn recipe (per Food Network), which usually uses whipped cream and has the proper formulation for small ice crystals. Get the ice cream mixture together, then freeze it in ice cube trays (via Gizmodo).

Once the ice cream cubes are frozen solid, plop them into your food processor and process away until smooth. Then put the ice cream into a freezer container, cover it tightly, and freeze until firm. Finally, scoop the perfect scoop and enjoy your creamy cold creation.

You can modify your own recipe for ice cream; just reserve some of the heavy cream and whip it, then fold it into the custard. Or try a delicious chocolate ice cream recipe (leaving out chocolate chips), but use the ice cube tray/food processor method instead of freezing it in a container. Or, after you process the ice cream, fold in some extras for crazy ice cream recipes, like cookie butter, M&Ms, or marshmallows and graham crackers.