We All Scream for Ice Cream

There is some confusion about ice cream as compared to other tasty frozen treats such as frozen custard, ice milk, gelato, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet. Based on the television press talk about Joe Biden's visit to Kopp's Frozen Custard stand in Milwaukee last June, most people don't know the difference between these delectable frozen treats.

My love of ice cream-like desserts prompted me to embark on some research. I have tried each one of these desserts at some time in my life, and have to admit I have my favorites. And it's not just me. Studies have shown that ice cream-like desserts are America's favorite guilty food pleasure.

Here's the scoop: Ice cream is made of milk, cream, sweetener, flavoring and sometimes eggs. Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor, although I suspect it's because you can add a bunch of other things to spice it up a bit.  Generally, ice cream has between 10 and 16% milk fat; premium ice creams have the most. Air is pumped into ice cream through the churning process, the less air the more dense and richer the ice cream. I always have some ice cream in my freezer usually some coffee flavor and vanilla to eat with strawberries, summer or winter.

Frozen custard, or French ice cream, like the kind our VP tried at Kopps, contains egg yolks and often has a higher milk fat content of between 10 and 18%. It has a richer texture because the churning process is slower and less air is pumped into the confection. It's served at a slightly higher temperature than ice cream and is often confused with soft serve ice cream. Frozen custard is more labor intensive and doesn't travel well to stores. Consequently, most custards are only available from small stands, which usually feature 3 flavors: vanilla, chocolate and the flavor of the day. Most custard stands are in the Midwest or on the eastern seaboard.  Frozen custard is, in my opinion, better than ice cream.  I grew up in the Midwest, and stop at the local custard stand every time I cross the border into Wisconsin. My two favorites - Kopp's German Apple Streusel and Culver's Red, White and Blueberry, made with vanilla ice cream, raspberries and strawberries and blueberries.

Ice milk is basically just ice cream, but made with no cream and less than 10% milkfat.  It's sometimes labeled light or lower calorie, lower fat ice cream.

Gelato flavors on display

Gelato is Italian ice cream. It contains the same ingredients - milk, cream, sweetener, flavorings and sometimes eggs. Because the milk fat content is less than ice cream - 4-8% - it is more healthful than ice cream. The richness and creaminess of gelato is due to the shorter churning process that results in less air being pumped into the dessert. Gelato flavors are often more intense as a result. Gelato is reason alone to visit Italy. The flavors are incredible and unique, including hazelnut, champagne, tiramisu, and more.

Frozen yogurt resembles soft serve ice cream and contains either active or inactive cultured dairy products. It is often more tart than ice cream, although some producers cover the tartness with sweeteners or flavorings. A great snack, and often lower calorie than ice cream.

Sherbet is a lighter frozen confection that does contain some dairy and almost always has a fruit component.

Sorbet contains no dairy, generally is a fruit flavor and is lighter than the other frozen desserts.  It is often used to cleanse your palette between courses because it's so light. The best flavors include champagne, tequila, citrus and melon.

If you want to make your own ice cream flavors, visit www.eCreamery.com. The ice cream is not cheap, but the flavor combinations may be worth every penny!