Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There's A Reason Why These Guys Are Famous and, in this book, you will find out why! *vbs* Let's start with the particulars: The book is artistically illustrated in a kind of cartoon style... fun, fun, fun. It measures 8" wide x 7" high; it's paperback; and it's 127-pages long with a Table of Contents in front, and an Index in the back. The first 11-pages are the historical biography of Ben & Jerry's beginnings. A fun read, *s* Then, 8-pages of Ice-Cream Theory: The Sweet-Cream Base; a Butterfat Chart; Sweeteners; Eggs; The Hidden Ingredient (Air); Ice Crystals; Soft or Hard Ice-Cream; Flavourings; Salt; Liqueur; Fruit; How to make a Pint-Sized Batch; and, Cookies & Candy. Please note: None of this reads like a text book, more like a comic book, *lol* Next come the Recipes: Beginning with the three (3) Sweet Cream Bases; then---> ICE-CREAM: Almond Delight Apple Strawberry Banana Banana Carob Chip Banana Cinnamon Rum Banana Fudge Chunk Banana Peanut Butter Banana Strawberry Ben's Chocolate Blueberry Butter Pecan Candy's Chocolate Candy Cantaloupe Cappuccino Cappuccino Chip Cherry Garcia Chocolate Almond Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cinnamon Chocolate Cinnamon Carob Chocolate Fudge Pecan Chocolate Gingersnap Chocolate Graham Mocha Supreme Chocolate Malt Chocolate Mint Chocolate Mystic Mint Chocolate Nutty Fudge Chunk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Chocolate Oreo Mint Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Reese's Cup Chocolate Superfudge Brownie Coconut Coconut Almond Coconut Cantaloupe Coconut Chip Coconut Rum Coffee Coffee Almond Swirl Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Dastardly Mash Egg Nog Fifth Avenue French Vanilla Fresh Georgia Peach Health Bar Crunch Honey Apple Raisin Walnut Jerry's Chocolate Kahlua Almond Fudge Kahlua Amaretto Kit Kat Kiwi Light Chocolate Mandarin Chocolate Maple Grape Nuts Maple Walnut Mocha Mocha Chip Mocha Fudge Chunk Mocha Heath Bar Crunch Mocha Swiss Chocolate Almond Mocha Walnut New York Super Fudge Chunk Nutty Fudge Chunk Orange Cream Dream Oreo Mint Peanut Brittle Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Plum Pumpkin Raspberry Rolo Cup Strawberry Strawberry Coconut Vanilla Fudge Chunk Vanilla Malt Chip Vanilla M & M's Vanilla Oreo Vanilla Superfudge Brownie SORBETS: (Icy Slush or Creamy Slush) Apricot Beer Kiwi Lemon Daiquiri Mimosa Ice Raspberry Strawberry BAKERY: (All those wondrous goodies they make and put in their Ice-cream) Blonde Brownies Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies Maple Walnut Brownies Superfudge Brownies SAUCES: Almond Hot Fudge Grand Marnier (Orange Liqueur) Hot Fudge Hot Butterscotch Hot Fudge Hot Honey Apple Cinnamon Raisin Topping Peppermint Hot Fudge DRINKS: Hot Chocolate Float Ice Cream Soda Jerry's Jumbo Shake SUNDAES & CONCOCTIONS: Apple of Your Eye Brownie Ice Cream Layer Cake Charoses Special Chestnut Mare Chocolate Nut's Delight Flaming Cherries Jubilee Fried Ice Cream Fruit Lover's Frolic Healthfood Heaven Hot Burgundy Cherries Hot Cherry Fudge Leave It To Beaver Special Minty Morsel The Jerry Berry Vermonster Vermont Sweet Tooth And now, a word about what Ice-cream actually is. Almost all Ice-cream Bases are made from Custard ingredients--> Eggs, Milk or Cream, Sugar, Vanilla, (I always add a pinch of Salt too, and really don't want to get into a debate about whether one should or shouldn't add Salt. I just do, and that's that, *lol*). When Heat is applied to this Custard Base, as through an oven, (in a Bain-Marie--> a water bath), you get what we all know as Custard, Flan, or Crème Brulee (Custard with the toasted sugar on top). If you apply Freezing Cold to the Custard Base, as with an Ice-cream maker, you get Ice-cream. Which brings us to the next word about Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base #1. They use 2 Eggs, beaten, but they do not cook them; they just beat them with the Sugar and Cold Cream/Milk mixture, and then put in the fridge to chill until ready for the Ice-cream Maker. As for me, this is unacceptable, so, I cook these ingredients as a Custard like most all-other Ice-cream recipes do. It's not that I wouldn't trust eating Ben & Jerry's Ice-Cream from the store, for I do eat it, and LOVE IT! But, they are a Commercial Ice-cream Enterprise. Their freezers, refrigerators, and general coldness of their factory preparation, instills every confidence in me that the Ice-cream they sell is A-Okay. Alas, at home, I'm not so sure. And, since I have been a victim of Salmonella-poisoning, I just won't take chances. So, if you're worried about this too, it's really no problem. Here's the Method--> Beat your Eggs for a couple of minutes. Then, beat in the Sugar, by thirds, until thick and creamy. Heat 1/2 of the Milk/Cream called-for in a saucepan on the stove to almost boiling/scalding. Then, with your beater beating the Egg mixture again, add the HOT Milk/Cream to the Eggs. This is called 'Tempering the Eggs'--> in essence, cooking them while you're beating them with the HOT Milk/Cream. (If you don't 'Temper the Eggs' first, but just add them to the HOT Milk/Cream on the stove, you will have scrambled Eggs in your Custard Base... yuk). Pour the HOT Milk/Cream/Egg mixture back into the saucepan, and put it back on the stove. Keep cooking it on LOW til thickened up a bit, whisking all the time. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS PROCEDURE, it goes pretty fast at this point. Keep your eye on it, and when you see the mixture beginning to come to a boil, take it off the heat, and whisk, whisk, whisk. Put it back on the stove and do it all again. I always do this a total of three (3) times. (I want those Eggs cooked! *lol*). All this only takes seconds to accomplish, certainly not more than a minute. Take the saucepan off the stove, whisk in the Vanilla or whatever flavouring you're using, and then pour the Custard into, preferably, a glass bowl that has a lid to it--> like a Pyrex storage bowl. Whisk in the other 1/2 of the COLD Milk/Cream called-for in your recipe. This should cool down the Custard enough to cover and place in the fridge. If not, you can let it set on the counter for a few minutes, just long enough to let the major heat of the Custard dissipate before putting in the fridge. If you're really in a hurry, you can always make an Ice-Bath. Take a bowl that is twice as large as the bowl your Custard is in. Put a whole bunch of ice cubes in it, and add some cold water from the tap, (ice water is colder than ice and will cool down your Custard right quick). Set the Custard bowl in the larger bowl, (if done right, the Custard bowl will be sitting somewhat on top of the ice, with the sides of the bowl submerged about halfway-up in ice-water. Be sure to keep a hold of the Custard bowl tho--> you don't want it sinking into the larger bowl and getting ice water in your Custard). Keep whisking the Custard to help dissipate the heat. It will cool very quickly in an Ice-Bath. Put the lid on, and place in the fridge til you're ready to make Ice-cream. Of course, to the above cooled-down Custard, (usually before putting in the fridge), you'll be adding the various flavours, mashed fruits, chocolate, etc. that is called-for in your recipe. Enjoy this wonderful book chock-full of recipes and ideas. For our family, 'Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Book' has proved to be just the BEST! NB: The Ice-cream recipes in this book make a generous One (1) Quart; and, by generous, I mean about a Quart-and-a-half! But that's Ben & Jerry for ya--> never skimping on the good stuff, *lol*