Filbert Ice Cream

It's cold outside!  Yep, it's time to make ice cream! "What?" you say, "But it's Winter!"

Yes it is winter, and when the icicles were big and dripping from the roof of the house, that's when our family would make ice cream.  Just as mom's grandmother had done with her, mom would send us out with a broom to break down the big icicles.  We'd smash them up and gather a bucket full to bring into the basement where the old ice cream maker sat.  The crushed icicles were used to pack around the canister of cream that was in the center of the wooden bucket.  Rock Salt was layered in with the ice and we knew that after a lot of cranking (churning the cream), we'd all be enjoying something wonderful.

Here is an old recipe that was a favorite!

Filbert Ice Cream (1880)

You'll need one quart of good, thick cream and one pound of nuts.
Make a sugar syrup out of 20 ounces of sugar and 10 ounces of water.
[Heat the sugar and water together just until the sugar has dissolved.  Let cool while you do the next step.]

Break the nuts and roast over a low hot fire. Sprinkle some cream on them and pound them. Mix the cream, nuts, two beaten eggs, and syrup over a medium heat, stirring until you've got a custard. Strain and cool. Freeze [churn in an ice cream maker until frozen].  Pack the frozen cream in a mold and pack the mold in ice until ready to serve.

A Hand-Crank Ice Cream Churning Machine