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Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
Ripe seasonal fruits. Fragrant vanilla, toasted nuts, and spices. Heavy cream and bright liqueurs. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Every luscious flavor is grist for the chill in David Lebovitz's ecstatic guide to the pleasures of homemade ice creams, sorbets, granitas, and more. With an emphasis on intense and sophisticated flavors, an international flair, and a bountiful helping of seasoned technique, this collection of frozen treats ranges from classic and comforting (Chocolate Sorbet) to contemporary and cutting edge (Mojito Granita). Spilling over with scrumptious sauces, crunchy toppings, and surprising mix-ins, THE PERFECT SCOOP transforms simple ice cream into a knockout dessert.
Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments Accessories
 Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker, White
KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker Attachment
Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker
The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More
Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways To Incorporate Whole and Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking
The Great Book of Chocolate
Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen
Williams-Sonoma Collection: Ice Cream (Williams-Sonoma Collection (New York, N.Y.).)
Baking: From My Home to Yours
Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments Reviews
Compared to what I make at work, the ice cream produced by Lebovitz's recipes leave a bit to be desired. If you'd like to get a look at The Perfect Scoop before making your purchase, it is available for preview on Google Book Search (the Rice Gelato is there). Somewhere in the middle fall Avocado Ice Cream, Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream, and Roasted Banana Ice Cream. The Ben & Jerry's Book is great, as is the book by Pippa Cuthbert. Since purchasing the book I've been working my way through it, randomly picking and choosing recipes that struck my fancy.
I should start this review with the warning that I am a professional pastry cook and, therefore, am spoiled by stabilized recipes and a very, very expensive industrial ice cream machine. The Milk Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream was to die for, both in texture and flavor; the Lemon Ice Cream was fresh and lemony, but also grainy; The Rice Gelato freezes rock-solid, but is one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. I'd make it a part of your ice cream library, though, not your only book. If you've got $250+ to shell out, Emmanuel Ryon's book is the ultimate ice cream book. All in all, this is a solid purchase, especially at the Amazon price.
However, I happily accept the limitations of my home kitchen and, with that in mind, can recommend The Perfect Scoop although there are probably better books out there.
There's no doubt that the Lebovitz book is beautifully photographed and has lovely printing, but I've been surprised that the ice cream recipes don't taste as good as the ones in the old (1987) and crudely-printed classic competitor Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book. You can always serve the Ben & Jerry's recipes with the style shown in Lebovitz's photographs. I carefully followed comparable ice cream recipes from the two books, using the same eggs and cream and so forth and using the same ice cream maker, and improbably enough the older Ben & Jerry's recipes consistently tasted better and had better technical characteristics. If you buy this book, you should also buy the inexpensive Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book and see whether it suits your taste better. (This book has no connection with the current commercial Ben & Jerry's chain, it reflects the artisan-style beginnings more than two decades ago).
Tiramisù ice cream. Strawberry frozen yoghurt. He gives excellent foundation instructions -making the perfect base custard, ingredients, equipment - and supplies a vast selection of recipes. Whatever the weather, here is a book worth having. Come winter I'm looking forward to freshly-churned cinnamon ice cream on my apple crumble. A new cookbook that makes you instantly want to try at least a dozen recipes is an exhilarating find. Roquefort-honey ice cream is, he assures the reader, remarkably good - plus it takes care of the cheese and dessert courses in one go. All were a cinch to make and impressed guests.
Perhaps it was the thirty-degree day, when I first paged through David Lebovitz's vast selection of frozen delights, that spurred my excitement about where to start. Pastry chef Mr Lebovitz - ex Chez Panisse in California, now based in Paris - covers everything a home cook needs to know about making ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, gelatos, granitas and the sweet extras (sauces, cones, crepes, etc) that complement frozen desserts. A large proportion of the recipes require an ice cream maker, but if you haven't already got one there's more than enough inspiration to warrant a further $60 investment. This autumn I'm serving fig ice cream. Most are simple (having just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients); a few are shocking. Kiwifruit sorbet.
I've used this book more than any other in my collection. What can I say. I've been playing with this book for months and to date, I've tried over 1/3 of the recipes. David sets you up for success. My top 3 favorites: gianduja, Vietnamese coffee, and malted milk. The photos are enticing and the recipes are written in a clear, approachable manner. "Perfect Scoop" will make you look like a superstar.
I can tell you that all of the recipes I have made from this book have been wonderful and come out perfectly without fail. This is a fantastic book on ice creams. This is definitely going to be in my library for a long time. There really is something for everyone in this book, from simple to more daring, and you always end up with a well-balanced flavor profile. I had contemplated on buying this earlier in the summer to give our sorbet list a facelift and procrastinated until early fall. let's just say I am kicking myself for waiting for so long. I am a pastry chef at a restaurant that makes all of its ice creams and sorbets in-house.
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