You need only four ingredients to make ice cream—and NO ice cream maker.

There may be an extra ingredient, such as lemon juice with fruit flavors.

Just whip the cream, fold it into the sweetened condensed milk with the other ingredients, freeze in a loaf pan and voilà, ice cream!

The other ingredients are sugar or other sweetener (use Splenda for sugar-free ice cream), and flavor: coffee, cocoa, peanut butter, strawberry, vanilla, etc.). With some recipes, other ingredients substitute for the sugar; for example, a box of cake mix for cake batter ice cream.

Then, of course, there are optional mix-ins: brownie chunks, chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, fruit, M&Ms, nuts, sprinkles, etc.
 
 
NO-CHURN VS. CONVENTIONAL ICE CREAM

Traditional ice cream starts with a sweetened base—usually a combination of heavy cream, milk and sugar and sugar (add eggs for a French custard base).

The custard and added flavors are churned in an ice cream maker, which incorporates air and breaks up ice crystals as they form, creating a creamy texture. The mixture is then frozen.

No-churn ice cream uses sweetened condensed milk as the base. The whipped cream adds the air and produces the creamy texture.

The result is very similar, with a few minor differences:

 
 
NO-CHURN ICE CREAM RECIPES

For most no-churn recipes, prep time is less than 10 minutes, plus 4-5 hours freezing time.

[2] Blackberry ice cream (here’s the recipe from Baked By An Introvert).

Alas, we could not find the origin of no-churn ice cream. This bugs us, because it is a relatively recent recipe—no reaching into the distant past required.

Our best guess is that it is Eagle Brand Borden sweetened condensed milk, which is constantly testing new recipes for its product.

There are no-churn recipes on their website, but we hadn’t heard back from them by press time. We’ll update this when we do.

Borden and Eagle brand, the two big names in sweetened condensed milk, merged and are now owned by Smucker’s.

Here’s the history of sweetened condensed milk.

[2] A showman as well as a chef, David Burke often has special serveware made for his creations. Donut carousel, anyone?

[3] Banana beignets add another popular flavor to donut holes. Here’s the recipe from Food Network (photo © Food Network).

[4] King’s Cupboard Bourbon Caramel Sauce already has some Kentucky Bourbon, but it’s just a smidge. You can add more—or start with plain caramel sauce (photo © King’s Cupboard).

[5] To make cinnamon sugar, blend half table sugar, half cinnamon. It’s also delicious on toast, yogurt and cottage cheese (photo © King Arthur Flour).

David Burke serves the donuts with three small squeeze bottles of the fillings, and you get to inject your own filling. It’s fun.

Although we haven’t gotten to one of his restaurants to try them, we cobbled together our own version using store-bought donut holes (not as good as homemade, but they let us try the concept).

The “drunken donuts“ are served with disposable food syringes that you use to squeeze the drunken fillings into the donut holes.

The recommended wine pairing is a sparkling rosé.

> You’ll find the history of the doughnut below including when the spelling “donut” appeared, and who turned the punched-out dough into the commercially popular donut hole.
 
 
RECIPE: OUR ROUGH APPROXIMATION OF DAVID BURKE’S WARM DRUNKEN DONUTS

Prep time is 15 minutes plus 5 minutes frying.

Ingredients For 2-3 Dozen (depending on size)

 
Plus fillings: recipes below.
 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together, sift together, and set aside as you whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

2. ADD the oil to a deep, heavy saucepan and heat it to 350°F over medium heat. Watch the thermometer closely: If the oil goes above 350°F, your donuts may get too crunchy.

3. ADD the egg mixture into the flour mixture a bit at a time, and whisk until the dough is well combined. Add the melted butter and thoroughly combine.

4. DROP small balls of dough into the hot oil, using a small cookie scoop (plan B: roll them in your hands). Fry in small batches: You don’t want to crowd the pan, because the dough balls need to float without making contact with each other. When they start to turn brown on the underside, flip them over with a fork. Continue to cook until both sides are golden brown.

5. REMOVE the donut holes with a slotted spoon, onto a baking sheet or platter lined with paper towels. Allow them to cool and then roll them in the optional sugar. We used a bit of cinnamon sugar on half of them (we’re not keen on powdered sugar garnishes: they’re too messy). Serve warm.
 
 
FOR THE FILLINGS

Taste and add more as alcohol as desired. You should go for a subtle layer of flavor, not a knockout.

 
 
WHO INVENTED DONUTS & DONUT HOLES?

First, we thank the Dutch for olykoeks, meaning oil cake, batter fried in oil.

While dough was fried the world over, we can thank the Dutch for the sweet balls fried in hog fat that became modern doughnuts.

An old word for ball was nut; a doughnut is literally a nut (ball) of dough. The term “doughnut” was first used in print in 1809 by American author Washington Irving in his satirical “Knickerbocker’s History Of New York.” Irving wrote of:

Because the center of the cake did not cook as quickly as the outside, the softer centers were sometimes stuffed with fruit, nuts, or other fillings that did not require cooking (think of the chopped onions in the center of a bialy).

What about the hole?

Per Smithsonian, a New England ship captain’s mother made a notably delicious, deep-fried doughnut that used her son’s spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind. She filled the center with hazelnuts or walnuts.

As the story goes, in 1847, 16-year-old sailor Hanson Crockett Gregory created the hole in the center of the doughnut. He used the top of a round tin pepper container to punch the holes, so the dough would cook evenly.

He recounted the story in an interview with the Boston Post at the turn of the century, 50 years later.

He effectively eliminated the need to fill the less-cooked center, and provided an inner cut-out that enabled the dough to be evenly cooked.

This was a breakthrough not just for donut holes, but for the donut in general. Previously, it had been cooked as a solid piece (no hole), so the sides were always crisper than the center. In fact, toppings were often put on the soggy center to cover up the flaw.

After the creation of the doughnut hole, donut makers also fried the dough “holes.”

It took more than a century and a mass marketer to popularize donut holes in America.

While the forerunner of Dunkin’ Donuts began in 1948 (here’s the history of Dunkin’ Donuts), Munchkins “donut hole treats” were not introduced until 1972. Tim Hortons followed with Timbits in 1976.
 
 
WHO CHANGED THE SPELLING FROM DOUGHNUT TO DONUT?

The first known printed record of the shortened word “donut” appears (likely an inadvertent misspelling) in “Peck’s Bad Boy And His Pa,” a story by George W. Peck published in 1900.

The spelling did not immediately catch on. That impetus goes to Dunkin’ Donuts, which decided on the truncated spelling when it started its business in 1950.

Later, as the brand expanded nationwide, it introduced America to the alternative spelling.

Donut is a easier to write, but we prefer the old-fashioned elegance of doughnut. Take your choice.

Doughnuts didn’t become a mainstream American food until after World War I. American doughboys at the front were served doughnuts by Salvation Army volunteers. When the doughboys returned, they brought their taste for doughnuts with them [source].

The name doughboy wasn’t related to the doughnuts, by the way. In the Civil War, the cavalry unchivalrously derided foot soldiers as doughboys.

According to one explanation, the term dates earlier, to the Mexican War of 1846-1848. American infantrymen made long treks over dusty terrain, giving them the appearance of being covered in flour, or dough.

One variation of this account explains that the soldiers were coated in the dust of adobe soil and were nicknamed “adobes,” which evolved into “dobies” and, eventually, “doughboys.”

We could not find exactly how U.S. service members in World War I (1914-18) came to be nicknamed doughboys, but as the granddaughter of a doughboy, we can relay that it was a positive term.

The nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s in popular culture, including the 1942 song “Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland,” the 1942 musical film “Johnny Doughboy,” and the character “Johnny Doughboy” in Military Comics. The term was gradually replaced during World War II by G.I. (General Infantry) [source].
 
________________

*Olykoeks, meaning oil cakes, is the Dutch word for doughnuts. The Dutch, early settlers of Manhattan, brought doughnuts to the New World.
 
 

It was created by Kelley Epstein of Mountain Mama Cooks (her mountain is in Park City, Utah). The recipe was sent to us by Vermont Creamery.

You can use flavored goat cheese instead of plain. Vermont Creamery makes Creamy Goat Cheese in Classic, Olive & Herb, and Roasted Red Pepper, all of which work well with summer squash.

If you don’t have spreadable goat cheese, use a goat cheese log at room temperature, which makes it more spreadable.

Below, the difference between crostini and bruschetta.
 
 
RECIPE: SUMMER SQUASH CROSTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients For 4 Large Or 8 Small Pieces

 
Preparation

1. SLICE the zucchini and yellow squash as thinly as possible, using a mandoline or sharp knife.

2. COMBINE the squash, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. Then…

3. GRILL the baguette slices. While they grill…

4. COMBINE the goat cheese mixture in a food processor with the dill, lemon zest, and pepper. Pulse until smooth and incorporated.

5. SPREAD the goat cheese on each slice of bread and top with zucchini and yellow squash. Top each bruschetta with extra fresh dill and a sprinkle of kosher or coarse sea salt and pepper, if desired.
 
 
 
BRUSCHETTA VS. CROSTINI: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The answer, in brief, is the size of the slice, plus grilling versus toasting.

[2] Zucchini and yellow summer squash (photo © Produce On Parade).

[3] Vermont Creamery’s spreadable goat cheese in three varieties: Original, Olive & Herb, and Roasted Red Pepper (photo © Vermont Creamery).

Bruschetta (pronounced broo-SKEH-tuh) are grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with any variety of items. The toppings can be as simple as extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, to diced tomatoes and basil, to almost any spread, vegetable, cured meat, or cheese—even fruit.

Bruschetta originated in the Tuscany region of Italy, where it is commonly served as a snack or appetizer. It may have been the original garlic bread.

The word comes from the verb bruscare in the Roman dialect, which means “to roast over coals.” If you have access to a grill, grill the bread for authenticity. If not, you can toast it.

Some American manufacturers and others in the food industry misuse the term, using it to refer to the topping only and selling jars of “bruschetta” (it should be bruschetta topping). Show your superior knowledge and don’t allow the term to be distorted: The word bruschetta refers to the grilled bread, not the topping.

Crostini (cruh-STEE-nee) are croutons: not in the American sense of small cubes tossed into soup or salad, but thin slices of toasted bread.

Smaller than bruschetta, the slices can be cut from a ficelle, a thinner baguette one to two inches wide (the word is French for “string”), or from a thinner baguette. The slices are brushed with olive oil, toasted, and then topped with spreadable cheese, pâté, or other ingredients. Plain crostini are served with soups and salads, like melba toast, or set out with cheese.

Final take:

 
An easy memory aid: Crostini = crouton in French. Croutons are toasted (in the oven), not grilled over coals.
 
 

Don’t send those potato peels to the trash bin.

Turn them into chips!

You can make this recipe with the peels from just two potatoes. Or, for a large lot, freeze the peels until you’re ready to defrost and bake.

Sweet potato peels work, too, as do carrot and other root vegetable peels.

RECIPE: POTATO PEEL CHIPS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. TOSS the potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. SEASON with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with garnishes and serve immediately.
 
 
MORE WAYS TO USE KITCHEN SCRAPS

Here’s more inspiration from Cooktop Cove on how to re-use what you’d normally throw away:

 
Ideas From Life Hacker | Australia include

 
Plus

[2] Sweet potato peel chips (photo courtesy What’s Gaby Cooking).

[3] Potato and carrot peel chips (photo courtesy Life Hacker | Australia.

[2] The simple solution to messy, drippy honey: a honey swirler (photo Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Yogurt and smoothie with honey (photo courtesy National Honey Board).

[3] Pan-seared salmon with honey glaze (photo courtesy National Honey Board).

[4] Roast duck with honey glaze (photo courtesy National Honey Board).

September is National Honey Month. Whether used straight as a sweetener in a cup of tea, or as an ingredient in endless recipes, honey is a hero: an all natural energy booster.

Look for raw or unrefined honey, in varietals: acacia, blueberry, clover, lavender, orange blossom, sage, wildflower—there are hundreds of different varieties around the world.

We avoid generic honey, the type simply labeled “honey” at the supermarket. It is a blend of cheap honeys, often from countries like Argentina and China that specialize in providing cheap honey.

These honeys provide sweetness, but that’s it: none of the nuances of flavor from the different flowers (a varietal honey is one particular variety of flower).

Another reason to buy varietal honey: Honey is one of the most adulterated foods on Earth—many companies mix it with cheaper sweeteners like sugar and corn syrup to cut costs. Look for “pure honey” on the ingredient label—and skip anything that lists “honey blend” as an ingredient.

Use different types to change the taste in recipes. In general, the darker the honey, the stronger the taste and the higher the antioxidant content. If you can find a honey sampler with one- or two-ounce jars, grab it. Then spend some time with a spoon, tasting the honey from the jars and noting the differences.

There are many recipes that use honey, from Honey Glazed Chicken and Honey Glazed Carrots to breakfast breads. You can substitute honey for table sugar and brown sugar in any recipe.

But there’s no cooking required for these tasty uses for honey:
 
BEVERAGES WITH HONEY

Use instead of sugar or simple syrup in:

 
 
BREAKFAST FOODS WITH HONEY

 
 
DESSERTS WITH HONEY

 
 
SPREADS, SAUCES & DIPS WITH HONEY

Start with the lower amount of honey, and add more to taste.

OTHER FAVORITE USES FOR HONEY

 
 
HONEY NUTRITION

Honey is a nutritional powerhouse.

 
 
MORE HONEY INFORMATION