Uncover the Secrets of New England-Style Ice Cream: A Chewy, Dense Delight
Are you ready to dive into a frozen treat that's both chewy and satisfying? New England-style ice cream is a unique and delightful variation of the classic dessert, with a texture that's both dense and rich. But what sets it apart from other styles, and how can you enjoy it at home?
At its core, ice cream is a simple blend of cream, milk, sugar, flavoring, and sometimes eggs. However, minor changes in ingredients and technique can create a completely different experience. On one end of the spectrum, we have the uniquely airy Philadelphia-style ice cream, while on the other, we find the chewy, taffy-like New England style.
The Key Features of New England-Style Ice Cream
New England-style ice cream is churned at a slower rate, resulting in a low overrun. This means the ice cream base has less air and smaller, more closely packed air pockets, which helps maintain a thick, dense texture. This texture is perfect for a heaping of mix-ins like cookies, brownies, and candy.
New England-style ice cream also tends to be higher in fat. For example, Judy Herrell, the current owner of Herrell's, uses a 14% butterfat base, which is well above the 10-12% used in standard ice creams. This contributes to a richer, denser texture and a slower melting speed, as fat wraps around and protects the tiny air molecules and ice crystals.
Where to Find Your Perfect New England Scoop
If you're ready to try your hand at New England-style ice cream, you're in luck! There are quite a few key New England ice cream shops to try for the perfect chew.
An essential spot for anyone wanting a true scoop of the region's sweet treat, Herrell's is a Massachusetts icon with two locations in Northampton and Amherst. Well known for its thick, mix-in-forward ice cream that comes in flavors like black raspberry mudpie and cookie combustion, the shop has been highlighted in publications from Bon Appétit to USA Today. Herrell's is deeply rooted in the lore of New England ice cream, as its founder, Steve Herrell, pioneered the region's beloved ice cream style in 1973 and created the concept of ice cream mix-ins, which he called and eventually trademarked as 'smoosh-ins'.
If you're interested in digging into a dense scoop, you can always buy a pint of Hood's New England Creamery Ice Cream. It's a classic New England brand with a deep history in the region, and this product line is advertised as its creamiest ice cream to date. Or, if you want to try your hand at the customizable marble slab 'mix-in' preparation method popular in the region, stop by a Cold Stone Creamery.
Making New England-Style Ice Cream at Home
There's no definitive recipe for New England-style ice cream, as so many of the region's creameries and shops make the dessert using their own recipes and based on individual preferences. However, there are some key aspects to achieving an optimal texture.
One important aspect is lowering the speed of your churn in order to prevent too high an overrun. Whipping too much air into your ice cream will produce too fluffy a scoop. So, if you can slow the churn speed on your ice cream maker, make sure to keep it at a lower speed setting.
If you have an ice cream maker that works at a single speed, there are other ways to compensate. Adding stabilizers can help keep your ice cream thick. The Hood New England Creamery uses guar gum and locust bean gum as thickening agents. If you can't find these stabilizers, you can use arrowroot or xanthan gum.
As for those ice cream mix-ins? Well, that's a whole other can of worms (or nuts or chocolate chunks). You can either add your mix-ins towards the end of the churning process or afterward, either by layering them into your ice cream container or working them together on a cold surface, marble slab-style. Just make sure that your mix-ins are chopped small enough and pre-chilled so they don't impact your ice cream's texture. Or, if you're feeling flavorfully fickle, you can always opt for toppings rather than mix-ins.
