Hi Wanda!

I haven't used the Krups ice cream maker, but I assume it is similar to the others (just make sure it fits in your freezer okay). Personally, I think you are going to like having it.

I meant ThickenThin Not Starch. I sweeten with "black market" sucralose (the kind without maltodextrin--got some from a fellow low-carber).

The hardness of the ice cream isn't a big problem especially if you are making it for more than one person (everybody will like the homemade ice cream whether they low-carb or not) so it may all be gone before you get a chance to store the leftovers in the freezer.

I like the idea that I have more control over the ingredients in the homemade ice cream and yogurt. You never know what is in the commercial varieties. I tried a sugar-free non-fat frozen yogurt yesterday (one scoop) at a local yogurt shop and it completely knocked me out of ketosis, so I'd say the homemade ice cream maker is well worth it.

However, as a side note, there is a very yummy frozen yogurt available at Penguin's Yogurt called Carbolite. This is 40 calories and has 4 net grams carb per half cup. However, I found this Penguin's while traveling and do not have one near where I live. But others may want to look for it.

Good luck with your ice cream maker and let us know how it turns out!

Frozen Yogurt-Carbolite, low-carb, 0 fat, 40 cal
http://www.carbolitedirect.com/

I stopped into a Penguin's Yogurt and found that they had Carbolite low carb frozen yogurt. It was fantastic! I found it on their website above.

They will sell it to the public, but in the form they sell it to the yogurt shops. You must add one bag of mix to one gallon of water. There is only chocolate and neutral mix. I bought both.

To make 1 quart of chocolate frozen yogurt:

2 1/8 cups mix
4 cups water

Mix in a blender for two minutes at lowest setting. Pour into your ice cream maker and let spin for 45 minutes. Tastes like Fudgesicle (spelling?) ice cream pops I used to eat as a kid.

To make 1 quart of creamy orange frozen yogurt:

2 cups neutral mix
4 cups water
22 drops yellow food coloring
4 drops red food coloring
1 tbsp orange extract

Mix in a blender for two minutes at lowest setting. Pour into your ice cream maker and let spin for 45 minutes. This is deeelishh, absolutely yummy. I think the neutral mix tastes better than the chocolate and I'm going to try a bunch of flavors. I'll update later.

This stuff stays soft in the freezer and is better after freezing a little.

Carbolite Frozen Yogurt:

Serving size: 1/2 cup

40 calories
0 g fat
5 g chol
45 g sodium
10 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
4 g sugar alcohols
3 g protein

Label says effective carbs 4 g (if you don't count sugar alcohols)
With sugar alcohols: 7 g Effective Carbs

I made the "Wendy's frosty" recipe posted earlier in this thread and it was yummy. I added 2 tbsp. of cinnamon to make a Mexican chocolate treat----VERY GOOD.

i just made the strawberry version of the basic vanilla in my rival ice cream maker, and oh my goodness this is the best ice cream i have ever tasted... very pure flavor... i deffinatly recommend this to anyone!! even people not doing low carb.

I just found a site that sells Maltitol sweetener. I find maltitol more agreeable than artificial sweeteners. Has anyone used maltitol with these ice cream recipes?

This is the sugar I'm thinking of using:

http://store.yahoo.com/carbsmart/steelsug.html

Thanks for any suggestions,
Wanda

Maltitol has a very good flavor, but it is a sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohols digest in the large intestine where fermentation takes place causing indigestion in doses over 30 g in most people. Personally, I get indigestion from over 15 g of sugar alcohol. I find Sucralose (Splenda) to taste the best of all the sweeteners.

Hi Voyajer:

At first, maltitol gave me some trouble, but I seem to have built up a tolerance to it. However, I am very cautious about how much of it I eat, which is probably a good thing. It teaches me self control when eating sweet-tasting substitutes.

I cannot seem to tolerate the artificial sweeteners very well even in very small doses. I seem to like the texture of the maltitol (that I have tried) better. However, I haven't tried the Steel's maltitol so I can't compare it. Have you tried it? If so, how does it compare in taste to maltitol found in various low carb products?

Thanks for your input,
Wanda

Hmmm.... this book must be newer than her cookbook. Her cookbook calls for "equal" and doesn't use xanthum gum. Her ice cream recipe has been considerably changed from the recipe in her older cookbook. Almost double the eggs are now used.

Does anyone know if Fran's recipes in her old cookbook have been undated in her new book?

Wanda

Karla,

I tried the ice cream recipe you posted and it was the best I've made yet. Excellent flavor, thick and creamy. BUT, it STILL had an icy texture. The ONLY thing I didn't do exactly as your recipe said was this:

"Pour the mixture into a heavy pan and set it over low heat, stirring constantly until the custard is slightly thickened. Add the xanthan gum and whisk vigorously. Strain into a bowl and let cool."

I wasn't sure what you meant by "strain into a bowl." You mean put it in a seive? Which part is kept, the stuff in the seive or what drains into a bowl? And why do this?

Could that be why my ice cream was still icey?

I give up! No matter what I try or how I do it, I get icy ice cream!

Did the guar gum and it tasted more like pudding, even frozen, and still had ice crystals.

Done it with eggs, egg yolks, cooked eggs, egg beaters.

Seems easier at this point to find a low carbed ice cream already made!!!

ARGH!!

Soteria,

Gosh, I don't know what to tell you, because I have kept the ice cream from this recipe in the freezer for several days and it never develops ice crystals. As I said, it does become hard when you freeze it, so I either let it sit in the frig for awhile before eating or soften it in the microwave. But once I do that it is as creamy as when it was first made, with no ice crystals.

And yes, I do press the custard through a sieve after cooking it.

Karla

I am interested in buying an IC Maker and want to know if the Cuisinart is really superior to the other makers as they command a higher price? If not, what other brands would you recommend.

I have a question about the finished product. Once you follow all the steps in the various recipes I assume you must put the container in the Freezer so the contents can change to ice cream. What if you simpy put the contents into about 5 tupperware containers and kept them in the refrigerator. Would they be like custard or like soup?

For my money, the best kind of home ice cream maker is the hand-cranked Donvier type. The cannister stays in the freezer until you're ready to make ice cream. It's easy to clean and store and makes good ice cream/sorbet. You can crank it while watching TV.

Ice cream turns into ice cream during the churning process. The constant motion during freezing keeps the ice crystals small. Putting it in the freezer will make it freeze more solidly. The premium texture for LC ice cream is when it comes out of the machine. There is no sugar, and sugar - as well as alcohol and in commercial ice cream, texturizers - is what prevents ice cream from freezing rock hard.

If you keep it in the fridge, you will have soup.

Karen

I thought I would add my thoughts to this discussion. My parents had bought a Cuisinart ice cream machine to make Fat Free Sugar Free ice cream. After 2 attemtps I was coming up with the same results as all of you. Then I came up with a brain storm. I'm not sure how all of you feel about "Cool Whip Free" but it produces the best ice cream I have ever had (fat free that is).
Just use a full container of Cool Whip free and about a pint of LandoLakes Fat Free Half and Half. Mix the two together and BAM. That is your base to make whatever flavor you wish. I usually add about 5 packets of sweetener and 1/4 teaspoon of salt for flavoring. Then I add whatever extracts I desire. It works VERY well. Try it, I bet you'll love it. To all the people that are tired of making bricks, this is your luck day.

Gerry

Hi all, I'm new and reading the icecream threads with lots of interest. I've been making low carb icecream now for about a month. I enjoy all of them!!!!! I love to "create". Can't remember where I read it but it works.............put your heavy cream in a bowl and whip it til its about double and then add your ingredients and put in icecream freezer. I found this makes it much creamier and with only a few minutes of softening time I can scoop. Course I had to nuke regular icecream so this is great! I just made strawberry tonight!

I hope to get to know some of you Low Carbers!

Jackie