History of Frozen Desserts

Frozen Desserts

• Frozen desserts have been enjoyed since the 2nd century B.C.
• Ice cream was rare and enjoyed primarily by the affluent until the mid-1800s
• Classification of commercially frozen desserts:
  • Ice cream: produced by freezing a pasteurized mix containing at least 10% milkfat, 20% total milk solids, sweetener, and other optional ingredients
  • Frozen custard: eggs are added to the ingredients found in ice cream
  • Reduced-fat ice cream: made with 25% less fat than standard ice cream
  • Light ice cream: contains at least 50% or less total fat or 33% less calories than standard ice cream
  • Lowfat ice cream: not more than 3 grams of milkfat in a 4 fluid once serving
  • Nonfat ice cream: less than 0.5 grams of milkfat per serving
  • Gelato: Italian-style ice cream that is rich in egg yolk solids and total solids, contains little air and no stabilizers or emulsifiers
  • Bulky flavored ice cream: contains significant amounts of ingredients such as nuts, fruits, confections, cookies, and cocoa
  • Soft-serve ice cream: served after being drawn from the freezer without hardening
  • Frozen yogurt: similar to ice cream, but generally lower in fat and must contain bacteria culture
  • Fruit sherbet: a pasteurized frozen product containing fruit juices, sweeteners, stabilizers, 2 to 5% total milk solids, and 1 to 2% milkfat
  • Sorbet: contains frozen fruit and/or fruit juice, sugar, and stabilizer, with a volume of air whipped into the product up to 20%
  • Italian ice: also known as frappe, frozen to a slushy consistency and served as a drink
  • Novelties: composed of sugar, water, and flavoring, with large ice crystals present

Characteristics of Frozen Desserts

• Crystal formation: all types of frozen desserts are crystalline products in which water is crystallized as ice
• Overrun: the amount of ice cream obtained above the amount of mix frozen, resulting from whipping air into the mix during freezing
• Body: the term used to imply firmness or resistance to rapid melting
• Texture: refers to the fineness of particles, smoothness, and lightness or porosity

Ingredients in Frozen Desserts

• Milkfat: an optimum amount of cream supplies milkfat, which gives desirable flavor and improves body and texture
• Nonfat milk solids: often added to improve flavor and texture
• Sweeteners: add flavor, lower the freezing point, and affect the amount of water frozen
• Eggs: sometimes used in ice creams, especially in French vanilla or custard ice cream
• Stabilizers and emulsifiers: affect the fat-globule structure, agglomeration, and whipping quality
• Acids: citric acid is commonly used in sherbets and ices to provide a tart flavor and reduce the perception of sweetness

Preparation of Frozen Desserts

• Commercial ice cream processing:
  • Pasteurization: destroys pathogenic organisms, aids in blending ingredients, and improves flavor and keeping quality
  • Homogenization: divides fat globules finely, improving texture and palatability
  • Aging: allows fat globules to solidify, increases viscosity, and improves body and texture
  • Freezing and hardening: utilizes a liquid refrigerant, and dashers scrape freezing ice cream from walls of the chamber while whipping air into the mix
• Ice cream preparation in the home:
  • Pasteurization: not necessary if using pasteurized milk, cream, and eggs
  • Heating: advantageous to blend ingredients thoroughly and destroy pathogenic bacteria
  • Cooling: cools quickly and ages or holds the mix for 3 to 4 hours at refrigerator temperature before freezing
  • Home ice cream freezers: electric or hand-cranked, with a metal can, paddle or dasher, and ice and salt
  • Packing the freezer: with ice and salt, and the proportion of salt to ice is important for efficient freezing
  • Rate of cranking: slow agitation at the beginning of the freezing period, and rapid agitation after the mixture is chilled